The Letter
by changedbyEdward
Summary: Bella Swan, professor of English Lit in Seattle, hears the velvety voice of rapper Edward Cullen one day and it changes her life. What happens after she writes her fan letter to him is fate personified. AU/AH Canon pairings M for language, alcohol, etc
1. Prologue

_**A/N This is the Prologue for my new story "The Letter". This is completely different than Ascension. It is all human. I must warn you, this Bella has a potty mouth. If you are under the age of 18 you should proceed with caution because this will be a story full of adult themes. Not so many lemons, yet, but adult themes for sure. If you like it, you know what to do. Leave me the lovin' at the end.**_

**_Big thanks to Lillie Cullen, my beta, my friend, my soul sister. Love you H&R bb._**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. But you all knew that already. Edward, on the other hand, woke me up at 4:30 one morning and started whispering this story in my ear and would not shut up until I started writing it. Who am I to deny him? _

_**Bella**_

"Hey, Edward?"

"What's up, Bella?"

"You think we could, like, just go to bed, and stay there, for fucking ever?"

"Suits me!" he said, laughing.

I stumbled around our house for a few more minutes, trying to remember where the fuck everything was. Ugh. I hated coming home after being gone for so fucking long. It was like going to another house.

Edward headed off towards what I thought was our bedroom. At four-o-fucking clock in the morning when you have been on a bus for twenty-four hours, and haven't been home for six months, who the hell knew where the fucking bedroom was? I couldn't help stopping to watch his sexy ass walk away. God I'm pathetic.

He could have any fucking woman in the world that he wanted with a flick of his finger, so what the fuck was he doing with me? I'm nothing special. I'm a plain girl from the hole of the universe, Forks fucking Washington.

After he disappeared from my view, I took a deep breath and looked around. How did I get here? How did this happen to me?

Well, before I get too far ahead of myself, let me just say that the story of how I got here is un-fucking believable.

I have to think back a long ways, through a haze of traveling, booze, drugs, sex, and God knows what else to even remember what brought me to this particular place in my life. Oh yeah, it was a letter that started me on this journey.

I was twenty-four years old when this all began. God, that seems like forever ago. Hold old am I now? Thirty-two? Wow. Time sure flies when you are sleeping with Edward Fucking Cullen every night.

I had just graduated from the good old University of Washington with my master's in English Literature. You may ask, what does some one do with a master's in English Lit? Yeah, I asked too. What kind of pansy-assed pathetic degree was English Lit for fuck sake? Well, of course, you teach English Lit to other fucking morons who think that it's a great degree to get. And, you don't give a shit that they are throwing their lives and their money away because you are getting a paycheck off of their stupidity, right? Right?!

If it weren't for my two best friends, Alice and Rosalie, my life would have been utter shit. When I was asked to join the faculty at the university because of my stellar grades, my leadership ability, and some other lame shit they had quoted to me, I hated the thought of being a professor at 24, but I took the job. Had I not, I would probably still be looking for a job. As it were, I was miserable.

Alice was a wedding planner and she was damn good at it. She traveled everywhere and even did celebrity weddings and governor's daughter's weddings and shit like that. She was a bundle of energy that one. She didn't work very often. Hell, she didn't have to. Her prices were outrageous and when I had asked her to plan the wedding for Mike Newton and me, I had told her so. I remember her laughing at me and saying, "Silly, Bella. Don't you know that you don't have to pay me?" Yeah, okay, whatever. Thank God that didn't work out. But, I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Rosalie had inherited her daddy's Ferrari dealership so she quit college and took that over when her dad died. She was making some big bucks too. Imagine a twenty-one year old who was more beautiful than Aphrodite running her father's Ferrari dealership without a college degree and making six figures a year. Six BIG figures a year.

Why did I have to be the smart poor one? Who the fuck knows, but my have the tables fucking turned.

I was walking across campus on September 12, the day before my twenty-fourth birthday, when I heard it for the first time. I was casually strolling along enjoying the rare nice weather when I saw some kids at a picnic table with a big stereo. Hip-hop was blasting out of it and I wrinkled my nose as I kept walking. Ugh. That was the kind of shit that Rose and her boyfriend Emmett creamed their pants over. I preferred Mozart and Beethoven. But then, I heard the voice, and I literally stopped walking. It was velvety and rich, not harsh like most hip-hop artists, and the words…Oh. My. God. This man was different. This man was a fucking genius. The way the words rolled off his tongue was poetic, even though he was talking about sex, drugs, and alcohol. I was mesmerized. I tried not to look conspicuous as I took out a book and sat down against a tree a short distance away to listen.

With every word of every song, I fell more in love with that voice. I listened to the chatter to see if I could figure out who it was. I had to know. I was going straight to the music store to get it. Rose was going to make fun of me. Fuck Rose. I felt like I couldn't breathe every time the voice stopped.

Mike's voice brought me out of my reverie rather quickly. "Bella, what the hell are you doing over there? We've got plans tonight. Get your ass over here and get in the car."

Ugh. I got up, smoothed my skirt, and kept walking, trying to remember some of the lyrics of the song I was listening to so I could find out who the mystery voice belonged to. I didn't want to have to ask Rose, but I kept that in the back of my mind as my last ditch effort at finding out.

I got into Mike's Toyota and slammed the door. I did not want to go to Forks with him. It was Friday and I wanted to stay in Seattle. I wasn't interested in spending the weekend in Forks at Charlie's house. Charlie is my father. He would think he needed to stay home and fawn over me like I was some little fucking girl that needed it. God I hated the thought of that. Then there was Mike's parents. Mike's mom was okay, she didn't say a whole lot to me, but his dad was more obnoxious than Mike was.

I can't remember how many times Alice and Rosalie had asked me exactly why I was dating Mike or why I had allowed myself to get engaged to him. I had pulled the lie off well. I would shrug and say, "Because I love him." I wasn't much of a liar, and they knew it, but they would always back off and leave me alone to make my own mistakes. I knew it was a mistake, but it was a lack of options. My self-esteem had never been the best. I had never thought of myself as pretty or desirable. I was just plain Isabella Swan. Not as pretty as the other girls, but not as ugly as some.

Mike and I had dated since my senior year at Forks High School. He had pestered me to go out with him since I moved there at the beginning of my junior year to live with my father. My flaky mother had run off with some damn baseball player and I finally had enough of her, so I went to live with my dad, Forks Chief of Police Charlie Swan, at your service. I hated my life.

Initially, when I moved to Forks, I started seeing my old friend Jacob Black who was a member of Quileute tribe over in La Push. My dad had been friends with his dad forever and Jake and I had made mud pies together when we were kids. I guess when I moved there, Charlie, Jacob's father Billy, and Jake all just naturally assumed that I would end up with him. Charlie and Billy did everything they could to throw us together so we finally relented and dated for a few months. That came to an abrupt end when he was drunk one night and tried to force me to have sex with him down at the beach during a big bonfire party the tribe was having. I'll never forget how bad my hand hurt when I punched him in the face and broke it. Charlie wouldn't even believe me or try to defend me. Somehow, he thought it was all my fault that Jake had gotten drunk and tried to force himself on me. As I recall, it was Jake that was drunk, not me. Oh well, that's Charlie. He always closes his eyes to things that make him uncomfortable and just hears and believes what he wants to. I wore that cast forever.

Anyway, after that, I went on a few random dates with a few random guys from Forks High, but there was never anyone special. I guess Mike just finally wore me down. He had asked me out a zillion times and though we were friends, I just would not go out with him. It was weird. He had been the first person to talk to me when I started school there. At any rate, once he wore me down, he had me. We finished high school together, we went to college together, and finally, we were engaged to spend the rest of our lives together. I wasn't so happy about that prospect, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I don't know why because he was never afraid to hurt mine. In fact, he was never afraid to hurt me period.

Mike sped away from the college that day ranting and raving at me about how we were going to be late for dinner with his parents and why hadn't I packed yet and why was I sitting in the middle of the fucking grass instead of getting my ass to the car so we could get going. Blah. Blah. Blah. I had learned not to argue. I had learned to tune out his voice and just agree with whatever he said and apologize for it. Was I really going to marry this man? This abomination? Yeah, I was going to. That is, until I fell in love with a rapper.

As miserable as it was, I struggled through the weekend in Forks. I stayed at Charlie's, like I always did, because it was a nice break from Mike and his groping fucking hands in the middle of the night. Charlie was naïve enough to believe that Mike and I lived in separate apartments and he was also naïve enough to believe that we were not sleeping together even though we had dated for six years and were engaged. It made things easier for me while in Forks to stay at my dad's house and leave Mike to stay wherever the hell he stayed. I still think that every time we went down there he was screwing that skank Jessica. I'm pretty sure that was why he liked going there every other weekend or so. He could ditch me at Charlie's, yet still exercise complete control over what I did and who I did it with, and he could get his piece of tail on the side from Jessica. All I can say now is, I hope they are happy together because they deserve each other.

It didn't matter, Charlie never came to Seattle to see me. You would think 140 miles wouldn't be too far, but apparently for Charlie it was. The only time he would drive that far was to go fishing with Billy Black. It still irked me that they were friends. Not my problem though. I had given Charlie the "I told you so" speech when Jacob went to jail shortly after his eighteenth birthday for statutory rape and assault on one of the tribal elders' daughter's. Apparently, I wasn't the only one that Jake had gotten drunk and taken liberties with. Charlie never apologized to me for not sticking up for me in that situation, and I resented him for it. A lot.

After that particular weekend was over and Mike and I were back in Seattle, I made up an excuse about Rose and Emmett having a fight and headed directly for their house. I had heard the lyrics over and over in my mind the whole weekend and was greatly resentful of Charlie for disconnecting the internet after I moved out. The man seriously needed to move into the twenty-first century in my opinion.

When I reached Rose's place, I told her about the songs I had heard. Thank Heaven Emmett wasn't home to make fun of me. He was out playing basketball with his buddies. As soon as I described the songs to Rose, she went to her CD collection and handed me a CD out of it. I looked at the cover and saw the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on staring back at me. He had the greenest eyes of any I had ever seen. His name? Edward Cullen. What a crazy name for a rapper, right?

I remember that my hands were trembling and so was my voice when I said, "Could I borrow this for a few days, Rose?"

"Oh hell, Bella. If it means that much to you, you can have it! I can get another one if I decide I want to," she said, shrugging.

I was on cloud nine. I jumped back in my piece of shit truck and slipped the CD into the CD player. I listened to that velvety voice all the way home and after I got there, I sat in the truck for another half hour just listening, and falling more in love with every passing second.

So begins the story of Edward and Bella, a match made in… Heaven?

**_End Note: Please leave a review and let me know if you want me to pursue this one! I probably will, regardless, but I always want to hear how you like it!_**


	2. Freedom

**_A/N Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter and the requests to continue. I have decided to move forward so don't forget to review again! I want to give thanks to Lillie Cullen, who is my beta and my friend, for all of her assistance, support, love, and care. _**

Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing in the Twilight universe. I do, however, enjoy toying with SM's characters and giving them a mind of their own.

_**Bella**_

I listened to that CD continuously for three weeks. Mike was getting really pissed off at me. By the time three weeks were up, I knew every lyric to every song by heart. I dreamt of the man's voice every fucking night. One night Mike woke me up, screaming at me.

"Who the hell is _Edward_?"

I was only half-awake and half-still in my dream when I said, "Who? What? What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Bella!" he shouted. He jumped off the bed and turned, pointing an accusing finger at me. "You're cheating on me, aren't you?"

I wondered briefly how many times we had this conversation per month. It was kind of like the pot calling the kettle black in my opinion, but I went along with the ruse. "No, Mike. I'm not cheating on you. I must have been dreaming about that CD I've been listening to. That's the name of the artist, Edward."

"You call that ART?"

"Sorry, no, the, um, singer's name is Edward." As always, I agreed with him. It was easier that way. Besides, it was three in the morning and I had an eight o'clock class to teach. I just wanted him to shut up and let me go back to sleep. I was so fucking pathetic and submissive back then. I hardly recognize the person I was.

"You can hardly call it singing either, Bella. I don't know what has gotten into you, listening to that crap, but I've decided that I'm banning it. No more. If you are going to have dreams like that, they are going to be about me and no one else. Do you hear me? Do you understand me?"

I nodded my head vigorously. "Yes, Mike. I understand completely. You are right. It's crap and I shouldn't be polluting my mind with it. I'll stop listening. I promise." Of course I understood. He would have kicked the shit out of me if I didn't understand, or at least agree.

"Good. Now go get the CD so I can destroy it. I know how you are. You'll just listen to it behind my back."

"Oh, no I won't, Mike. I promise! It's Rosalie's CD. I'll give it back to her tomorrow, I swear!" The last thing I wanted was for him to destroy that CD. It was my lifeline. It was my only outlet from the life that I had chosen. He glared at me for a long time and I did my best to look innocent.

"Alright, but I better not hear it anymore."

"You won't." I looked down at my knees. I was now sitting on the bed with my knees pulled up and my arms around them. I knew I would not be getting any more sleep. Mike crawled back in the bed and started pawing me.

"Come on, baby. I'll make you forget that… creep."

I sighed and laid down. It was inevitable. If Mike wanted me, he would take me, whether I was willing or not. I let him get his business over and the second he started snoring, I got out of bed. I padded into the kitchen and started the coffee. I went to find my briefcase and pulled out some papers to grade. I graded papers and drank coffee until five thirty, when I knew it would be a good time to go get into the shower without being in trouble for waking Mike up.

That day I took the CD to my office and left it there. That was the one place that Mike never went. It was the only place in my life that provided any privacy.

I lived with that abusive bastard for I don't know how long. I was pretty fucked up when I was with him. I have to thank Edward for giving me the strength to get away. Each time I turned on his CD in my office, his voice seemed as though it was just for me. I hung on to every fucking word as though he were standing in front of me.

Two months to the day after I heard Edward Cullen's voice for the first time, I moved out. I had late classes that day, so I stayed home. Mike always left the house at 7:30 on the dot to go to work. As soon as he was out the door, I called Rosalie and Alice. They were there before I knew it and we had everything we could carry packed in no time. We loaded my POS truck full and took a bunch of my stuff to storage. Then I moved in with Alice.

I changed my cell phone number that day and left Mike a "Dear John" letter. Chicken shit, I know. However, had I tried to explain to him that I wanted out, I probably would have ended up in the emergency room, or worse. Maybe I wouldn't have, but I was afraid of him. He had gotten worse over the last year we were together and I just wasn't going to take any more. I had no one to turn to except my two best friends. Emmett and Jasper, Alice's boyfriend, had both promised to "take care of him" if he tried anything, which gave me a certain sense of security most of the time.

Alice and Rosalie lived in the same neighborhood right next door to each other. Well, right next door is a stretch. It was a gated community, which probably says enough about the size of their houses. Mike didn't know how to get in there. He didn't much socialize with my friends, so although he had been there a couple of times and knew where it was, he didn't know how to get in. Pretty much the only time I didn't feel secure was when I went to work but Rosalie had helped me out with that, too.

Since she owned a car dealership, Rosalie gave me a great deal on a slightly used Toyota and we took my old truck to the junkyard. Her reasoning had to do with Mike not knowing what I was driving. It was the best reasoning she had ever come up with to get me to buy a car from her so I did. I was glad to be rid of that old truck. It held too many bad fucking memories. I had it since high school. Mike had always been one to make sure that he drove a nice car, but didn't give a shit what I drove, as long as I kept my mouth shut and did what I was told.

It was really hard for me at first, especially when Mike started all the crazy calling at all hours of the night. Jasper wouldn't let me answer the phone. He would always answer it and tell Mike to fuck off. Some nights I would laugh about it, and some nights I would sit and cry like a fucking baby. Fortunately, it didn't take Mike long to give up. About a month later, he moved Jessica in with him. Figures. Asshole. Bitch.

Once Mike left me alone, I was free to do as I pleased. Living with Alice was a cakewalk compared to living with him. She was rarely home with all of her job commitments. I think I spent more time with Jasper than she did. He was a financial consultant for some big firm in Seattle. I don't even really know what the hell that means other than he was pulling down some big dollars.

Living with one best friend and having the other best friend right next door had its benefits. They were always buying me stuff, which irritated me, but it was nice. Mike hardly ever let me spend any money or buy myself anything. He was so fucking tight he squeaked when he walked.

After the month from hell, I got back to listening to DJ EC Velvet every day. I just couldn't stop listening and since I didn't have to worry about being told what to do anymore, I listened a lot. EC Velvet… what a freaking hot name. It rolled off the tongue just like his lyrics did. Imagine how excited I was when I got on his website and found that he had a new album being released in two short weeks.

I have to admit, my two best friends thought I was a little nuts for how obsessed I was with Edward Cullen, a.k.a. DJ EC Velvet. I was buying up everything I could find about him. I had an entire shrine in my room at Alice's house. I had books, magazines, posters, shirts, hats, buttons… you name it, I had it. I joined his fan club just so I could get all the junk that went with it. I guess you could say that I was living my second childhood or something, but for me it was more than an obsession. I was strangely drawn to this man. It was as though there was a magnet between us. I couldn't ignore the pull.

The new album came out and of course, I was there to pick it up the minute it hit the shelf. I had the wrapping off of it before I got out of the store so that I could put it in the CD player in my car as soon as I got in there. I never got out of the parking lot. As much as I had thought the man was a genius with his first album, and as much as I had been drawn to him, my heart ached during the brief silence between songs on the new album. His voice held me in a trance. I couldn't stop listening. I felt as though I were going insane.

Actually, it wasn't just me who thought that. Rosalie and Alice tried to stage an 'intervention' for my obsession. They wanted me to go to therapy. They wanted me to get rid of all of the paraphernalia I had purchased. Worst of all, they tried to set me up on a fucking blind date. I could have killed them. The guy they fixed me up with was a financial consultant in the same firm that Jasper worked in. He was a nice enough guy, I just wasn't interested. He was kind and calm, just like Jasper. I tried, I really did. Okay, so maybe I didn't try so hard. I only went out with him once, but I had bigger fish to fry. I was desperately trying to figure out how I was going to meet Edward.

I was even having trouble teaching my classes without listening to his voice. It was getting pretty freaking crazy. Finally, I sat down one day and did something I had never done before. I started writing a fan letter. Now, mind you, this was something that seemed silly and childish to me. I hadn't even written fan letters to any of my junior high or high school musician obsessions because it seemed silly and childish to me then! I just had to do it though. I was desperate and I felt it was the only way that I might be able to let this man know how I felt about his music, his mind, his voice, his art. Yes, his art.

Looking back on all of it now, it seems really stalkerish in a really creepy sort of way. I suppose I could have been classified as a stalker, only I wasn't threatening him, and I wasn't hanging around his house. Not that I hadn't thought about going to Chicago and hanging around his house, but I didn't.

That letter was the turning point in my life. It was a piece of paper that turned my life upside down and brought me to the place where no one that I had ever known could believe that I would be. I still can't believe how that went down. Obviously, the fates had a hand in it or it never would have turned out the way it did. The letter in question was later framed and hung over the fireplace in our house, Edward's and mine. I never would have believed when I wrote that letter what would happen next.

_Dear Mr. Cullen,_

_I've never done anything like this before, write a fan letter, but something compelled me to do it. I was introduced to your genius several months ago, in September to be exact, and have been unable to get enough of your beautiful voice since then. _

_I don't want you to think that I am just some hung up teenaged girl who is going all hormonal on you, because I'm not. I'm a 24-year-old professor of English Literature at Washington University in Seattle. My name is Isabella Swan. _

_I simply want you to know that your voice is magic and your lyrics are ingenious. I feel like the messages in your music are so much more than just the words. There are undertones and underlying thoughts that for some reason stick out to me. It's as though I 'get' you through your music. _

_I certainly hope that this letter finds you well. I don't even know if you will read it yourself, but I can hope for that. I don't expect a reply. I just long for you to know how much your music means to me and how it has helped me through a very tough time in my life. It gave me the strength to do something I never thought I would be able to do, which is leave my abusive ex-boyfriend. I'm sure you hear things like that every day, but I wanted you to know._

_Thank you for your wonderful talent and for sharing it with the world. My best to you and all those who surround you. Take care of yourself and keep up the great work._

_All my love,_

_Isabella ("Bella") Swan_

Simple, right?

**_End Note: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! Yes, I'm begging! I really want to know what everyone thinks of this story! _**


	3. Ray of Light

_**A/N You all have been awesome about reviewing already! Please keep it up! Those of you who begged for Newton to get his ass kicked... this one's for you! **_

_**Lillie Cullen is my soul sister and best friend... fortunately she is my beta goddess too! Thank you BB! Love you H&R!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight. SM owns all that shit. Blah Blah Blah. I DO own the name DJ EC Velvet. So there.**_

_**Bella**_

I swear to God, that stupid fucking letter was almost the death of me. I let it sit on my desk for three weeks. I almost crumpled it into a ball and threw it away about eighteen times. Meanwhile, back in the land of Mike the asshole…

Apparently, Mike and Jessica got into a fight one night. Why that didn't surprise me, I'll never know. Of course, that comment drips with my sarcasm. After the fight, the jerk shows up at the gate of Rosalie and Alice's neighborhood, demanding to be let in. Alice, Jasper, and I were at Rose and Emmett's playing Mario Kart on the Wii when the call came in. Emmett answered and when he hung up the phone, he was pissed. He had agreed to let Mike in, but had plans for him to leave in an ambulance. I didn't want to see Mike, but I didn't want to see Emmett in any trouble either. I pleaded with Emmett to just send him away, but Emmett liked to fight. There was no reasoning with him.

Mike pulled up in the driveway to the sight of all of us standing on the front lawn staring at him. He hopped out of his car and said, "Bella, I want to talk to you. _ALONE!_" I crossed my arms and looked around at my friends before answering him.

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends. As far as 'talking,' I have nothing more to say to you." When I finished speaking, I noticed that Alice and Rosalie were flanking me quite closely and both of them had fire in their eyes.

"Fine. You want to talk in front of your friends, we'll talk in front of your friends. You had no right leaving me so go get your shit, get in this car, and come home with me now. If you come quietly, I won't be so compelled to show you the error of your ways. If you don't want to come quietly," he shrugged and finished, "it's not going to be quite so pleasant for anyone involved." I was a little surprised by his boldness in speaking that way to me in front of all my friends, especially Jasper and Emmett who looked ready to tear him apart and burn him.

"I'm not going home with you, Mike. In case you didn't notice, I haven't so much as tried even once to contact you. I'm over it. I don't love you and I don't want you anymore. If you think that my friends are going to stand aside and let you take me out of here against my will, you've got another thing coming because if you try, it will be over your dead body that you do it." Alice took my hand and squeezed it which gave me the strength to keep standing there rather than running as fast as I could.

Mike took a step towards me, but as soon as he did, Jasper and Emmett stepped in front of me. Emmett's booming voice and enormous presence was quite clear when he said, "Touch her and die mother-fucker."

Mike paused for a second and then his voice was different when he spoke again. He used the crooning, condescending, patronizing voice that he always used when he was 'apologizing' to me for knocking me around. "Bella, come on, baby. I love you. I always have and I always will. Please, just come home with me. I forgive you."

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "No. I'm staying here and you need to leave." Alice held my hand tighter and Rosalie wrapped her arm around my shoulders.

"Mike, Bella is just fine now. She doesn't have to worry about walking around on egg shells anymore for fear she will get beat up. She hasn't been to the emergency room in weeks. She hasn't had to lie to anyone about her injuries. She's been happy. If you just get in your car and go now, there won't be any trouble, but if you keep begging her to come with you, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let Emmett kick your ass, and I don't think you are going to like it," Jasper said quietly. His voice was so calm, it almost hypnotized me. I kept my eyes closed and waited.

Apparently, Mike was just obnoxious enough to think that he could take Emmett and Jasper because he sneered, "Bella is mine and I don't give a fuck how happy she's been. She's coming home with me where she belongs and there's nothing you two assholes can do that will stop me."

I opened my eyes wide and saw him charging towards Jasper with his fists drawn. Alice and Rosalie dragged me backwards just as Emmett tackled Mike and starting pounding on him. Jasper turned towards us and said quietly, "Go inside. I won't let Emmett kill him, just teach him a lesson."

All three of us ran into the house and stood in the window watching the fight. Jasper was standing in the yard with his arms crossed watching Emmett beat the living hell out of Mike. Emmett swore every time his fist met Mike's face and Mike was screaming like a little girl. I wasn't sure that Jasper was really going to stop Emmett before Mike was dead, but found that the only remorse I had about that was that Emmett would be in jail for a long time. We saw Jasper's lips move, but he was so soft-spoken that we couldn't hear what he said from inside the house. Rosalie was smirking while watching Emmett. I knew that after this was all over, Alice, Jasper, and I would be going home. Rosalie always got turned on when Emmett got physical with somebody. Emmett stopped suddenly and jumped up off Mike. He yelled something unintelligible at him and put a well-placed kick in Mike's groin before stalking off.

I couldn't help myself. I collapsed in a fit of laughter at the sight of Mike rolling around in the yard, his face bloody, his nose broken, both of his eyes swelling, and holding onto his crotch. He looked like he was crying, which made me laugh even harder. Emmett stormed into the house and slammed the door. I stopped laughing immediately when his glare met my eyes.

"Bella, I swear, if you ever get mixed up with that sorry piece of shit again, you're gonna look like that and it's not going to be because he did it to you!"

"I'm sorry, Emmett. I promise, I have no interest at all in getting back with him."

"Good, because I don't think he'll be in any shape to ever give you babies," he said with a smirk. Emmett headed upstairs, to clean up I supposed. Rosalie was right behind him like a dog in heat. Ugh. Those two were the most over-sexed people I knew.

I looked over at Alice who was giggling about what Emmett had said, but was intently watching out the window to see what Jasper was doing with Mike, who was still writhing around on the ground. I will never know what Jasper said to Mike, but what I do know is that after he got done speaking, Mike jumped up and limped to his car, and hauled his sorry ass out of there. Good fucking riddance.

Jasper came in the house to get Alice and me after Mike left and we went home. That night was when I finally put the letter in an envelope, addressed it, and put a stamp on it. No, I didn't run right out and mail it. I was still freaked out that I had even written it but I was coming very close to being in the frame of mind to mail it. It was only a few more days before I finally got up my nerve and dropped it in a mailbox. After that, I kind of just let it go for awhile.

All the college kids were starting to get spring fever and I was not immune. I was starting to feel a little better about my pathetic self and wanting more out of life than sitting around pining over some fucking rap musician that I would never meet. Alice and Rose took me out a few times over the next few months, but I just wasn't all that interested in meeting guys or anything. I guess I was just in limbo. I was past Mike and over that part of my life and waiting for my new life to start. Little did I know.

About two months after I sent the letter, I got a letter back. I stared at the envelope for three days before I would even open it. It laid on my desk, calling to me, but I kept ignoring it. I kept telling myself that it was someone who worked for him that had written it. He probably hadn't even signed it himself. The fact that the handwriting on the front was messy and didn't look like the handwriting of a professional letter writer didn't sway me. I was sure that it wasn't really from him. Alice kept asking me when I was going to open it and I kept telling her to mind her own fucking business. I loved that little pixie like a sister but she could be annoying as hell.

It was Saturday morning and I had slept in until nine o'clock. I had wanted to sleep longer because I was supposed to go out with Alice and Rosalie that night, but my stupid body wouldn't let me sleep any longer than that. I laid in my bed staring at the ceiling and stretching, trying to wake up. The sun was streaming through the frou-frou lacey curtains that covered my bedroom window and it was making interesting patterns on the white comforter that adorned my bed. I followed the patterns across the floor with my eyes and then turned my head to follow them onto my desk. One particularly large beam of sunlight was hitting the letter that still laid on my desk unopened. I stared at it as though it were a wild animal that was stalking me.

Finally, I got out of bed and walked over to my desk. I picked it up and turned it over in my hands several times. I sighed and sat down in the dark blue fluffy chair that sat next to my desk in front of the window. My hands were trembling when I finally got up the nerve to start opening it. I don't know why I was so terrified. It was just a letter from one of his staffers, right? Right?!

The envelope was open, but I still couldn't bring myself to pull out the paper inside. I heard Alice coming up the stairs and waited silently until she knocked. "Bella? You awake in there?"

"Yeah, I'm awake. Come on in."

She threw the door open and flitted into the room with a huge grin on her face. She handed me a cup of coffee and plopped down on the end of my bed.

"Thanks," I said before taking a sip of coffee. Having a roommate that had ADHD so bad that she hardly slept did have its advantages. She started bouncing up and down on the bed. I rolled my eyes. She had caught me with the letter, open, in my hand.

"Well?" she asked excitedly.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't read it yet."

"Well _read_ it, silly!"

"Alice, you realize that this letter is not from him. It's from one of his staffers or something. I don't know why I even bothered."

"Bella, come _on_," she whined. "You're never going to know for sure until you pull the damn thing out of the envelope and open it up! The handwriting on the envelope sure doesn't look like the handwriting of someone who writes letters for EC Velvet as a living!"

In my mind, I tried to argue that she was right. Then, I tried to argue that she was wrong. Then, I tried to argue that I shouldn't read it. Then, I tried to argue that I should read it. The bottom line was, I knew I was going to read it. I _needed_ to read it. It was as though it was pulling me to it and now that I had it in my hand, I couldn't put it down.

I glanced up at Alice, sat my coffee cup on my desk, and pulled the yellow legal paper out of the envelope. I looked at the folded paper for a long time, knitting my eyebrows together, trying to figure out why in the hell he let his staff return his fanmail on yellow legal paper. Weird! Alice was still bouncing, but was quiet for once, so I started unfolding it. I read through it once, then again, and again. By the fourth time I practically had it memorized. I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe. I could barely continue to sit in the chair. I was in utter shock. It had to be a fake. It absolutely _had _to be a fake. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be happening. Things like this just didn't exist in my world.

_**End Note: Hit me with the reviews ya'll! I NEED to hear if you are liking it! EC's return letter will be first up next chapter!**_


	4. Venom

**_A/N So, here is Edward's letter. Sorry for the cliffy last chapter, it just worked out that way. This chapter is named "Venom" after the Club that Bella, Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper go to. It is a real club in Seattle. So freaking cool! I had to use it... had to!_**

**_Thanks Lillie for staying up late and beta'ing for me. You rock hard BB! I could never do any of it without you!_**

Disclaimer: I don't own TW. Blah, blah, blah.

_**Bella**_

_Dear Bella,_

_I hope that you don't mind that I addressed you as Bella. My assumption was that you liked to be called that from your letter. You are probably thinking, "I'll bet he doesn't answer his own fan letters," and for the most part, you are correct. I don't usually. Occasionally one comes across my assistant's desk that she brings to me to read just because she thinks I would be interested. Fortunately for me, she brought me you. Well, not you, but your letter. I can only hope that it will bring me you. Wow, that sounds like I'm some kind of sick stalker. _

_Okay, here's the deal, Bella. I've read your letter at least a thousand times. I've been carrying it in my back pocket for days now. I don't know what it is about it but I can't seem to put it down. I hope you don't think I'm a psycho. I came out of a very bad divorce about a year ago and I haven't seen anyone since. Tanya hurt me very badly. I'm sure you've read the news articles, and unfortunately they are mostly true. _

_Something brought your letter to me and something keeps it near and dear to me at all times. I would really like to talk to you. Here is my personal cell number… 555-555-5555. I carry this particular number on my person at all times. Since I have no other way of getting in touch with you than your return address, I would really love it if you would call me, just so we can talk. If you don't want to or think I am nuts, I understand, because maybe I am, just a little._

_Anyway, thanks for the awesome letter and for bringing some joy back to me with it. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Yours,_

_Edward Cullen (a.k.a. DJ EC Velvet)_

I really think that stunned is probably the appropriate word for me to use. I was stunned. Wait. Maybe shocked is a more appropriate word. Yes, that's it. I was in shock.

When Alice couldn't contain herself any longer she squealed and shouted, "Bella! Either let me read it or tell me what it says! I can't stand the suspense anymore! Is it from _him_?"

My jaw was still hanging down into my lap when I handed the letter to her. I found that I had trouble letting go of it, but I finally let her have it completely. She stood in front of me and read it quickly, her grin spreading wildly across her face. "Bella! This is really from him! Oh. My. God. I gotta call Rosalie!"

She practically threw the letter at me and ran out of the room. I could hear her talking animatedly to Rose and I rolled my eyes. I was kind of thinking that it was my news to share, but Alice could never sit on anything too long.

About an hour later, when my growling stomach forced the shock to wear off, I got up and headed for the kitchen, still clutching Edward's letter. I poured a bowl of cereal and sat down at the bar. I read the letter repeatedly while I ate. I couldn't take my eyes off it. I wanted to run upstairs, grab my cell, and dial his number immediately, but I was afraid that it was too good to be true. Nothing that awesome had ever happened to me.

Alice, Rosalie, and I went out that night. We went to a club they had never taken me to before. It was called Venom. Rosalie had tickets for a VIP booth which was great because we were guaranteed a place to sit. Jasper and Emmett joined us there and I got completely smashed. I kept taking the letter out of my bag and showing it to everyone at the table. I'm pretty sure that I was pretty fucking annoying, but I was pretty fucking excited.

The five of us were up dancing when I heard a very familiar song start. It was him. They were actually playing one of his songs. I nearly passed out on the dance floor. Alice screamed and grabbed me. She was jumping up and down in excitement. Rosalie was laughing at me because I'm sure I looked like some kind of fucking idiot. Thank God Emmett was behind me when my knees finally gave out. Edward's voice was booming around the room. It was velvety and strong. It felt like fingers caressing my body when the sound surrounded me. When I closed my eyes to let his voice consume me was when I went down.

Emmett carried me to our table and ordered me some coffee. I had to hand it to my best girls, they had some pretty fucking awesome boyfriends that not only took care of them, but me too. I was grateful for the coffee and as EC Velvet's voice faded out and was replaced by Estelle singing American Boy I finally started to ground my feet back in reality. I drank the coffee down and pulled my cell out of my phone to see what time it was. Three in the morning. Wow.

Soon after, Jasper put me in his Jaguar XF to take me home. Alice was passed out in the back seat and when Jasper crawled in behind the wheel, he looked at me sternly and said, "Bella, if you are going to throw up, please do me the favor of not doing it in my car, darlin'." I nodded, leaned back in the seat, and closed my eyes. Of course, as much of a lightweight as I was back then, I only had to stop him three times on the way home so I could puke on the side of the road.

Upon arrival at the house, I stumbled to my bedroom and passed out on the bed, fully dressed. I woke up sometime that afternoon, face down on my bed, clutching my bag that had Edward's letter in it. My head was pounding. I groaned and rolled over too fast. I had to jump and run to the bathroom to relieve my stomach of any contents that might have been left. When I looked in the mirror, I scared the shit out of myself.

Alice, who had, of course, been up for hours, and was feeling great, brought me some Motrin and a bottle of water. She took one look at me and said, "Ugh, Bella! You look like hammered shit, girl! Get in the shower. You stink!"

"Yeah, thanks for sharing," I grumbled at her while shoving her out my bathroom door. I got into the shower and let the hot water run over me until I was starting to feel halfway human again. I used my favorite strawberry shampoo and felt even better now that I smelled normal.

When I made it out of the shower, I went downstairs to find some more water. I fucking hate hangovers. I noticed that my cell phone and Edward's letter were laying on the kitchen counter. My irritating pixie of a best friend had charged my phone and had programmed Edward's phone number in it for me. I rolled my eyes and took the phone and the letter with me to the living room. I flopped on the couch next to Alice, who was flipping through a fashion magazine, and glared at her.

"Alice, what were you doing with my damn phone?"

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye and said, "Just helping you along. I don't know why you didn't call yesterday."

"Because I didn't want to yet!" I grabbed the remote and turned on the television, frustrated with the lack of good programming on Sunday afternoon.

"So, why don't you call now?" Alice said without looking up.

She was pissing me off. Alice could push and do so annoyingly. I just wanted to be left alone to do it in my own time. I wasn't over the shock of his response yet and here she was practically forcing me to call him already! What the fuck? I turned off the TV, tossed the remote, and got up. I went to get my purse and keys, grabbed my phone and headed out the door. I heard Alice calling, "Where you goin', Bella?"

I didn't answer her. I got in my car and drove. I needed some time alone to think. I drove for quite a while until I found myself somewhere outside of town. I pulled off the road near a trailhead and sat there staring at Edward's letter for the longest time.

I analyzed each word, each sentence. I listened to his voice in my head reading it to me. He seemed awfully insecure for a famous rap artist. It made me sad for him. At the same time, I remembered my relationship with Mike and how tumultuous and horrible it was. I started thinking about that in earnest. How could I even call this guy? This wasn't real, it was a fantasy. I could have no expectation of being in a real relationship with someone like that. Besides, what if he turned out to be a psychotic creep like Mike? I shuddered at that thought. Of course, now I know that I was totally fucking crazy for ever even thinking that, but I had only just gotten away from Mike. I had been in an abusive relationship for six years. I was really not in any shape mentally to be in a new relationship with anybody. Having come to that conclusion, I folded Edward's letter neatly and put it back in my purse. I headed home to take a nap. God my head was fucking pounding.

When I got home from work the next day, there was another letter for me. It was from him. I could tell by the handwriting on the envelope and the postmark from Chicago. Everyone was gone so I grabbed a soda out of the fridge and sat down at the dining room table to read it.

_Dear Bella,_

_I mailed that letter to you the other day and then realized that I probably scared the hell out of you. I didn't mean to do that so I decided to follow it up with this letter. _

_I was thinking about how you said that my voice on a CD gave you the strength to leave your abusive boyfriend and I am completely humbled by that. Particularly because of the content of some of my songs. I'm proud of you for leaving him. A lot of women just don't have the strength to get away and I'm glad you did. _

_That said, I wanted to clarify for you that I would just really like to be friends. Even just pen-pals for a while if that is all you are willing to do, or able to do. At the end of this letter is an address that will get letters from you directly to me and my personal email is also included. Feel free to use either, although the emails will get to me quicker as I am on the road a lot. If what I am asking is too much for you, I understand. I don't have to like it, but I understand. I've never asked to correspond on a regular basis with someone who wrote to me like that before and this is new territory for me as well. _

_Just know that I am still carrying your well-worn letter with me everywhere I go. Every time I hit a stage, it's in my pocket. Every time I do an interview, it's with me. It makes me feel like somebody out there cares for the me that is beyond all the hype and it gives ME strength, so thank you for that. _

_I hope this finds you well. I also hope that you will consider writing me back. _

_Sincerely,_

_Edward Cullen _

His address and email address appeared beneath his signature. I was intrigued that he had written again. He must have realized how desperate his first letter sounded. It pleased me to no end that he had backed off a bit. I decided that this letter deserved an email response. I headed up to my room and fired up my laptop before Alice got home and starting dancing around behind me and staring over my shoulder. Too much fucking energy that girl had… still has.

_Dear Edward,_

_I received both of your letters, obviously. First off, I would like to thank you for writing me back. I realize that you are a very busy man and I was shocked beyond belief when I got the first letter and it was really from you. _

_I'm sorry to hear about your nasty divorce. Yes, I had read the articles, but I had hoped that it was media hype and not true. I'm sure that it is difficult, in your position, to find a good woman. I don't know much about the history of your relationship but I'm sure that if she was with you before the fame hit, the fame was probably difficult for her to take. If she came in afterwards, who is to say what she was after._

_Thank you for being proud of me for leaving my ex. It was difficult at best and I'm so happy to be rid of him. I have four very good friends who have been invaluable in helping me to get away and stay away. Between them and your CD's, I have remained sufficiently distracted enough to get past it for the most part. Parts of my mind are broken and I don't know if they will ever be right again, but I can always hope._

_I think being pen-pals/friends sounds like a wonderful idea. I want you to know right off that I am not after your money or your fame. I'm just captivated by you, charmed by your skills, and would really like to know the real you. The you behind EC Velvet. I can't explain why I am so drawn to you and I guess I really don't have the desire to try to explain it. _

_You now have my email address so feel free to email me as often as you would like. Maybe someday we can do the phone thing, but I don't think either of us are ready for that yet. _

_Thanks again for the wonderful letters,_

_Bella Swan_

I read it exactly eight times before I hit the send button. I had no idea where this was going to lead or if it would lead to anything, but I hoped that at least it might lead to a friendship that, if nothing else, would take place in my email inbox for a long time. When Alice hit the door, I quickly closed out my email and went down to help her with dinner.

I didn't check my email that night before I went to bed. Instead, I got up the next morning and went to work like I always did. When I got home the house was empty again, so I marched upstairs and opened my email. Of course, he replied. My hands trembled as I clicked his message to open it. I read it. Then I read it again. By the third time through, I knew. I was in love. I was in love with a man named Edward Cullen, who happened to be the famous rapper EC Velvet. I had never met him, and never had any hope to, but I was in love with him. Completely and irrevocably. Call it fate, call it coincidence, call it what you want to, but something, or someone, was drawing us together and making all the pieces fit.

_Dear Bella,_

_I was SO excited to get your email! Thank you so much for emailing me back! I was afraid that you wouldn't and would think that I was just some weirdo. _

_So, you want to know the real me. I take it then, that you want to know Edward Cullen and not EC Velvet. That's different. Most people don't give a shit about Edward Cullen. He is just a regular guy. He has regular feelings, regular dreams, regular thoughts about life. EC Velvet is a lot different. He has his shit together. He knows exactly what he wants and he takes it, never looking back. He is definitely not me. He is my public persona, invented to make me rich and famous. I hate him. He has taken over my life. I always thought that all of this was what I wanted and now that I have it, some days I just want to give it all back and say fuck it. _

_Edward Anthony Masen Cullen is shy. He's quiet. His real parents, Elizabeth and Edward Masen died in an accident when he was three. After that, he was adopted by his aunt Esme Cullen and her husband Carlisle. Regular childhood, other than that. Carlisle is a world renowned surgeon. Esme is a socialite. I chose rap to piss them off. I went to college at Johns Hopkins U. Pre-med. At some point, I decided to live my life for me rather than them. That's when EC Velvet was born. _

_I guess I better save some for later. I've probably completely freaked you out already. Miss Bella Swan, I am captivated by you as well. I can't wait until I hear from you again. You are a bright spot of sunshine in my life already and I barely know you._

_Yours,_

_Edward_

Wow, right? Right?!

**_End Note: Please don't forget the reviews! Next chapter will be up soon! _**


	5. Daddy

_**A/N Several of you have asked to hear from Edward. Well, your wish is my command! It is time to introduce him, I think. Thanks to all who have reviewed and added this story to their favorites/alerts. I'm pleased at how well it is being received. We now have a forum thread on Twilighted so if you would like to discuss, please drop by. There is an official story playlist that is being built there. We are in the A/U A/H forum over there. If you need directions, PM me and I'll send them to you! Ages 18 and up only please! Thanks so much to my Forum Stalkers. You ladies rock!**_

**_Must give homage and thanks to my rockin' beta Lillie Cullen who rules my universe! If she didn't encourage me past all my insecurities, you all would never get to see anything that I write! Thank you Lillie! Love you H&R!_**

_Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight. Wish I did. I'm really enjoying turning the characters into potty-mouthed bad-asses though._

_**Edward**_

I was so fucking tired. I had just put the finishing touches on my latest album and got it out. Finally. Being in the studio for eighteen hours at a time six and seven days a week for months on end tended to take its toll on me. Of course, sprinkle in public appearances to promote said album, planning the upcoming tour, video shoots, spending time with my daughter, appeasing my parents, avoiding the paparazzi, and I had a hell of a lot on my plate.

I had about six weeks to go before my whirlwind tour was to start so I was trying to catch up on some business one day when my personal assistant knocked on the door to my office. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I tried to remember how many times I had told her to leave me alone that day when she knocked again.

"Edward? I'm sorry to bother you, but I have something I think you will be interested in."

I berated myself for thinking badly of her. She had saved my life a few thousand fucking times in the last couple of years. She probably knew me better than anyone else in my life did at that point, and that was a pretty sad testament to what my fame had brought to me.

"Come on in, Rhianne."

My petite, blonde, knockout assistant came through the door. There was a lot of speculation in the media about our relationship. Not one to avoid controversy, I hadn't said a whole lot about it. The controversy was good for my career. At least it was good for EC Velvet's career. He and I were two different people.

"I was going through your fanmail and came across this letter that I felt compelled to bring to you. I'm really sorry to have bothered you today, but for some reason I couldn't just let this one sit on my desk."

She brought me an envelope that looked simple enough. I couldn't figure out why she had felt obligated to give it to me on that particular day, of all days. I thanked her and she left quietly, closing the door behind her.

I looked at the return address. Seattle. Nothing special about that. I got letters from all over the world all the time. Truly, I read very few of them. I didn't have time. My assistant didn't even have time. The people that I pay to go through my mail had to do it. They read each letter and responded appropriately to them. There were thousands of letters a week, of which, Rhianne only received a small portion. Out of the ones that she got, even fewer hit my desk, so it was no small thing for her to interrupt me on a day that I had asked not to be interrupted just to give me a freaking fan letter.

I tossed it aside on my desk. I didn't have time for that shit. I had a zillion things I needed to get done before my tour started and reading a stupid fucking fan letter was not on my agenda. I have regretted feeling that way ever since.

So, a few hours passed and I got a lot of work done. I talked to Abigail, my daughter, on the phone and I was getting ready to pack up and head to the rest of my house to finish out my day when the letter caught my eye. I snatched it up and stuffed it in the back pocket of my jeans as I headed to my bedroom to change my clothes for the public appearance I had that night.

Riding in the back of the limousine to the appearance gave me some time to think. I missed Abby dearly. She was currently living with her bitch mother and I was working hard to change that. In the meantime, I was doing my best to stay a big part of her life. That was fucking hard with my lifestyle. There had been many days since the divorce that I had thought about just giving up, retiring, and spending the next fourteen years of my life with Abigail. She was the only bright spot in my life at that moment.

I knew that at some point during the ride I was going to have to get out of Edward mode and get into EC Velvet mode. Nobody wants to see Edward at the club; they all want to see EC Velvet. Damn it! Sometimes I hated my alter ego so much. I couldn't believe that I had actually thought it would be a good idea for me to develop it. Oh well… EC Velvet was famous, sexy, rich, talented, and the girls loved him, even if he was a total asshole.

I stood backstage waiting for the announcement that would send me out into the spotlight. I didn't have my buddies with me that night. It would just be me out there. I only had to perform one song. Surely I could make it through just one song. I patted my back pocket and noted that the mysterious letter was there. I had to read it when I got done. Why I had felt compelled to bring it along was beyond me.

The lights went down, and EC Velvet stepped onto the stage. Edward was afraid of the crowd and afraid of the attention. EC Velvet loved it. He worked the crowd. He gave high-fives, he shook hands, he sniffed the underwear that women threw at him. EC Velvet is a pretty sick fuck.

_That performance fuckin' rocked! DAMN, I owned those bitches! There is a good fucking reason that I have been dubbed the best fuckin' white rapper to ever hit the universe. My lyrics and my rhymes rival any other mother-fucker out there. Don't fuckin' believe me? Just ask me! I'll be happy to tell you how fucking great I am! _

_I headed into my dressing room and grabbed the first bottle my hand hit. Jack Daniels. That'll work. Next order of business is throwing all these crazy bitches that keep trying to grope me out of here. God, they act like I'm just a piece of meat sometimes! How many times do I have to tell the promoters that I don't want a bunch of horny women in my dressing room after a show? _

_Having gotten rid of the women with the help of my two bodyguards, I sat down in the big overstuffed chair that was waiting for me. I slugged down about a third of the bottle of JD before I came up for air. It burned going down, but I didn't care. I was high as a kite from the performance and needed something. Fuck, I love being on stage. I don't need drugs. The stage is my fuckin' drug. Every time I walk off the stage, I'm so jacked up with energy that I don't want to sleep. I sat back and closed my eyes to think about the performance. I fucking love all that attention out there. I want to take the Aston Martin out when I get home and cruise all night long!_

Riding back to the house in the limo was when my high started to abate. I looked down at the bottle still in my hand and cringed. Damn. I drank too much. Velvet tends to take over my actions during and after my performances. He likes to drink and do stupid stuff. I tend to be more low key. I handed the bottle to Matt, my bodyguard, and stared out the window. He smirked at me. He knew that Velvet was gone and I was back. I'm pretty sure he secretly liked Velvet better, but Edward signs his checks.

Upon arrival at the house, I checked out my Blackberry to see that it was now Sunday, which meant that I had to go to dinner at my parents' house in exactly seventeen hours at seven on the dot. My mom could be a real bitch if I was late. I rolled my eyes and walked up the marble staircase. I needed a smaller house. This one was too big and too lonely to live in alone with nobody but the staff to keep me company. I didn't go for having my whole entourage live with me. I enjoyed being on my own, even if it meant that Abby was in another house with Tanya. I was going to change that, and soon.

I threw off my clothes that stunk from the club and heard the slight sound of paper rubbing against fabric. I remembered the letter that I had in my back pocket and pulled it out, tossing it on the bedside table. I was just drunk enough that it would be a good time to read it before I went to bed. It had better be good or Rhianne was going to be in big trouble.

I stood in the shower for a while to get the sweat from being on the stage off me. The hot water felt good and I reminisced about the events of the last year. _Tanya screaming at me because she thought my work was more important than she and Abby were. Tanya snorting cocaine and freaking out because I didn't want Abby around her when she was like that. Tanya making a fucking scene at my parents' house when she was fucked up on God knows what. Tanya raking me over the coals in the courtroom saying that I hit her and shit when she knew it was a bunch of bullshit. Abby crying the day that Tanya and she moved out of the house. Abby clinging to me every time I saw her and begging to go home with me. _Before I knew it, I was standing there in the shower crying like a baby. I wondered how I could have let my life fall apart like that. I got out of the shower and dried off. I threw the towel in the laundry chute and grabbed my Blackberry as I walked back to the bedroom. I put a note in to call my lawyer first thing Monday. I was paying that son-of-a-bitch too much money for Abigail to be stuck with her mother any longer.

Crawling into the king-sized bed alone was always a stretch for me. That was the one place I hated being alone. That bed felt so huge. It was swallowing me. I took a deep breath and punched the button on the remote to see what was on TV. My guess was a bunch of infomercials at three in the morning, but it was worth a look. I found some random movie to watch and grasped the envelope that laid on my bedside table. The damn thing was singing to me and I couldn't figure it out. My eyes had kept darting over to it ever since I walked back into my bedroom. Finally, curiosity got the best of me and I pulled out the sweet smelling stationary inside.

I put the paper to my nose and inhaled. It wasn't perfume. I didn't know what it was. I opened the paper and glanced at it. _Female handwriting. _Could that be _her_ scent I smell on there? That was definitely something new for me. I had never been attracted to the scent coming from a letter before. I settled in to read it and what I read literally took my breath away. I had to remind myself to breathe when I was done. I read it again, and again. The words were simple enough. Nothing special. Not too much different. Why, then, was I so taken with every curve of every letter of every word that she had written, this 'Isabella Swan' who apparently preferred 'Bella.'

I stared at it for over an hour. I couldn't figure out what it was about it that made me so enthralled. What on earth was an English Lit professor doing writing ME a fan letter? Finally, when the adrenaline ran out, the booze wore off, and the lateness of the hour overtook me, I carefully placed the letter back in the envelope and laid it back on my bedside table under my phone. I closed my eyes and visions of a chestnut haired beauty with brown eyes inundated my dreams. Who was she? I had no idea, but I wanted to know.

When I awoke, I went to the kitchen to find food. I was always ravenous the day after a performance and that day was no different. It never mattered how large or how small the performance was. I fried a couple of eggs and some bacon, fixed myself some toast, and sat down at the kitchen island with the mystery letter. I read it a couple more times before I finally made the decision to respond to it. I felt like a stark raving lunatic. I was obsessed with a fan letter from a fan who was probably obsessed with me. My manager and my friends would totally chastise me for this, but I didn't care. I wrote her the letter and gave her my personal cell number. I wanted to talk to her. I was intrigued. I wanted to know what it was about her that had drawn me to her words. I put it in an addressed envelope and left it on Rhianne's desk for her to mail on Monday. I stood staring at it for a minute and almost wadded it up and threw it in the trash. I wrote it on a legal pad for Christ sake! Oh well, that's about all I write on anyway. I left it. Rhianne would do what was right.

I called Abby to make sure she was ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's for Sunday dinner. The bitch answered the phone, of course.

"What do you want, Edward?"

"Uh, I was just calling to see if Abby was ready to go. It's Sunday afternoon."

"I know what _day_ it is, asshole. Yes, she's ready. Are you going to have her back on _time_ this time?"

"Yes, Tanya. I'll have her home by eight-thirty, right after dinner." I sighed. Why did she always have to try to make me miserable?

"You know, her bedtime is seven-thirty. _Your _mother _could _move dinner up an hour. She's so fucking inconsiderate of my daughter's schedule."

I had to practically bite my tongue to keep from lashing out at her. Tanya had never been one to 'keep to a schedule' when it came to Abigail. I was always the one who had properly cared for her and made sure she was fed on time and to bed on time. It had always been me that got up in the middle of the night and sang her back to sleep. Sticking to the law was difficult at best. I was bitter and angry that this had happened. When the judge's gavel fell and he said the words, "Mr. Cullen, because of your chosen career, your odd hours, your drinking, and the alleged abuse that you can't prove didn't happen, this court finds it in the best interest of this minor child to award residential custody to her mother. You will have visitation rights as follows…" Those words were still resonating in my mind when I responded to Tanya.

"I'm sorry Tanya. I will talk to my mother about changing the appointed time for Sunday dinner to an earlier time so that Abby can get to bed on time. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you and your _schedule._" I couldn't help the sarcasm that flowed through my voice with those last few words. I didn't want to incite an argument because Tanya was famous for not letting me pick Abigail up when she was pissed off at me, but I couldn't help pointing out to her that she was definitely NOT the queen of keeping a schedule.

"I don't appreciate your tone."

"Sorry."

"When are you going to be here?"

"Twenty minutes. Is that alright?" God how I hated being polite to that fucking bitch.

"I suppose," she said before slamming down the receiver.

When I pulled up in front of Tanya's house, that I had been gracious enough to buy, all of my animosity melted away when I saw my beautiful little girl standing on the front porch. Her sandy blonde curls were cascading down her shoulders and she was wearing a pretty pink dress with white tights. Her little feet were adorned in white patent leather shoes and her smile was infectious. I got out of the Volvo and she came running down the stairs on her little legs screaming, "DADDY!" My heart melted. She was my angel. Nothing else mattered but her. I secured her in her car seat and we headed out for an afternoon of Abby-time. Those times were the best times of my life in the past year and the only times that I truly looked forward to.

We went to the park and played, got ice cream, went to the petting zoo, and just when she was about to collapse, we went to my parents' so she could take a short nap. I hoped that would get her through dinner and home before she got too cranky. I sat in the chair in my old bedroom in my parents' house watching her sleep. Her little lips were puckered into the cutest little pout. Her tiny hands were clenched into tiny little fists. She was adorable. The most beautiful female I had ever seen and I was totally in love with her. She was my world, that was for sure.

Dinner with my parents was irritating as per usual. My mother was such a pain in my ass. _"Edward, have you talked to your lawyer yet? Edward, when are you going on tour? Have you thought about what you are going to do with Abby while you are on tour, Edward?"_ God she's nosy.

After dinner, I picked Abby up and said, "Are you ready to go home, baby?"

"Can I go home with you, daddy?" she asked, her beautiful green eyes imploring me while she played with the platinum chain that hung on my neck.

"I'm sorry, baby, not tonight. I have to take you back to mommy's house, but in a couple of days you get to spend the night at daddy's, okay?" Her lower lip stuck out and quivered, and I knew that it was only the beginning.

I said goodnight to my parents and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. The one thing I looked forward to when I was on tour was not having to go to Sunday dinner at my mother's and field the thousand questions a week she came up with to ask me.

After I secured Abby in the car, she asked me again if she could go home with me. Every time she did it broke my heart. I wanted nothing more than to have my little girl at home with me. When we pulled up in front of Tanya's house, Abby started screaming.

"No, daddy! NOOOO! I don't WANT to stay here! I wanna stay with YOUUUUU!!!"

Tears welled up in my eyes as I pried her out of my car and deposited her in her mother's waiting, but impatient, arms.

"You're damn near late, Edward," she sneered.

"It's eight-fifteen, Tanya, give me a break. I'm early. I'll pick her up Tuesday at noon," I said as I walked away. I couldn't listen to my baby-girl cry and beg any longer.

When I got back in the car, I couldn't wait to just get home. Taking Abigail back to Tanya's was always difficult for me. As I neared the house, I began thinking about the letter and Bella Swan again. I pulled her letter out of my back pocket while walking into the house and re-read it for about the thousandth time since I had received it. It suddenly dawned on me how stalkerish and weird my first letter back to her sounded so I ran into the kitchen and grabbed my legal pad. I scribbled a new letter that gave her my home address and my email address instead of expecting her to call me. For some reason I didn't think she was that kind of girl. I ran up to Rhianne's office to retrieve the offending letter but found that Rhianne had come in some time during the day and picked it up with the other mail that was to go out. _Fuck. She's going to think I'm a nut-case._ I stood there debating what to do for several minutes and decided to put the new letter in the mail myself, hoping it would reach her first. I dashed out to the car and drove like a mad-man to the closest post office and dropped it in. If I was lucky, Rhianne hadn't mailed the other one yet and I could retrieve it.

All I knew for sure was that Bella Swan was consuming my thoughts. Every minute of that day that I wasn't with Abby, I was thinking of Bella. I had no idea why. It was as though someone or something had placed a nugget in my mind that would not allow me to let her pass by without trying to know her. I hoped that would come true some day.

**_End Note: Reviews are the air I breathe. _**


	6. Tequila

**_A/N Thank you everyone for reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. Most of all, thank you for your patience while I worked on Ascension before I posted here again. That one is almost finished, so I'll have more time to devote to EC Velvet soon! _**

**_Thanks to Lillie whose friendship and mad beta'ing skills mean more to me than she can ever know._**

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, except Abigail and Rhianne. SM owns the rest, but she doesn't own this story line, because I do. _

_**Bella**_

Alice came crashing through the front door yelling at me. "Bella? Where the hell are you?"

_Shit. She's home. _I slammed my laptop shut and bolted down the stairs, almost missing the last step. I rolled my eyes at my clumsy self, thinking it would have served me right if I had biffed it in the entry-way. I found Alice in the kitchen running around like her usual OCD self.

"Hi," I said casually, leaning on the counter. "How did your day go?"

She turned to me and I could see the excitement glowing in her eyes. _Ugh. It's going to be a looooong night._ "Guess what?" she said, bouncing up and down like a fucking pixie on speed.

"What?" I bit, not in the mood to try and guess. All I wanted to do was go back upstairs and respond to Edward's email. Immediately.

"We're going out, that's what! Here!" She threw a garment bag at me and I knitted my eyebrows together. It was never good when she was throwing clothes at me. It could only mean that I was going to get dolled up in some ridiculous outfit that I hated and be dragged around her high society acquaintances that I abhorred, or forced to go to some fucking art show that I had no desire to be at. I sighed loudly and with great emphasis while I opened the bag. I stared at the contents. Black cocktail dress. Well, that didn't give me any more of a clue than I had thirty seconds before. I looked up at her with questioning on my face, trying not to look irritated.

"What?" she said, the exasperation in her voice showing through.

"Where are we going, Alice?" She ran over to me and grabbed my hands, her eyes twinkling.

"It's our anniversary and I think Jas is going to propose! Isn't that _great?!" _She practically yelled in my face and I found myself shrinking away from her. I backed up and started shaking my head.

"Oh, no, Alice. I'm not going to dinner with you if you think Jas is going to propose, and besides, if it's your anniversary, you guys need to be alone. I'll be fine, really. I don't want to go." I started making excuses as I backed away. I watched her face fall and felt bad for about a millionth of a second. "Alice, seriously, do you really think that Jas wants me tagging along with you when he proposes? Jesus."

"But, _Bella…" _she whined.

"No, I'm not going. Here," I said, handing the dress to her. "You can take this back and get a refund or whatever. You buy me too much shit anyway. It's about time that I found a place of my own to…" I knew before it came out of my mouth that it was a bad idea to even mention that.

"You'll do no such thing, Isabella Swan! You're my best friend and you're going to stay right here as long as you want to!"

I dropped my head in defeat. There was no way I was making her understand with Jas's imminent proposal on her mind. "Okay, I'm sorry. I was just thinking, you know, if you and Jas get married, you might want some privacy for a while or something."

Alice shook her head at me and rolled her eyes. "God, Bella. We live together now and you live here. What the hell would be the difference?"

I just shrugged and walked over to the fridge. I pulled a bottle of water out and mumbled, "I've got papers to grade. Have a nice dinner," and headed up the stairs, hoping against hope that she wouldn't follow me. She did, of course.

"What's wrong with you? Why so grumpy?"

"I'm not grumpy, just tired." _Dare I hope that she leaves me be? _Fuck no. She followed me right into my bedroom and of course, she noticed immediately that my laptop was on, but closed.

"Well?" she said, gesturing to my computer.

"Well, what?" I said, as innocently as possible.

"You know what, Bella! How's it going with the letter writing?! Did you call him yet? Are you going to?" _Fuck. It's the girl of a thousand questions._

I sighed. "No, Alice. I'm not going to call him yet. He sent me another letter with his email address so I emailed him instead. He emailed me back." After much squealing and begging, I decided to let her read the email.

"Bella! Wow! This guy sounds amazing and like he really needs a friend. How exciting!"

"Yeah, it's really great. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to write him back so go get ready for your date!"

Alice tore out of the room, already on her cell phone with Rose. I wondered if there would ever be a time that I would get to announce my own news. I highly doubted it. I sat down in front of my laptop and poised to respond to Edward's email.

_Dear Edward,_

_First of all, please stop referring to yourself as a weirdo and stuff. To me, you sound like a normal guy. The fact that you are uber-famous is just a side note to who you really are. And yes, I do want to know everything I can about Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. _

_Why don't you tell me about your little girl... her name is Abigail, right? I've read tidbits about her in the media, but of course I know that's all a biased view. I'd like to hear about her from you. _

_I suppose that since I am asking you to tell me about you I should tell you something about me. My parents are divorced. I spent most of my childhood with my mother but when I was in high school she decided to flake out for the last time. She ran off with a freaking baseball player. She was never particularly stable anyway. After she met up with Phil, I went to stay with my dad in a tiny spot on the planet known as Forks, Washington. Dad is the police chief there. _

_After I graduated from Forks High, I came to Seattle, went to college, got my degree, and started teaching. Wow, it sounds like I haven't done much, but truthfully, I haven't. I was with Mike since high school so I really didn't get to do much. _

_Boring, right? I understand you have a tour coming up. I'll bet that is a lot of work to prepare for. How much time do you have to spend rehearsing for something like that? Does someone plan it all for you or do you participate in the planning? _

_My roommate is getting ready for a date. She thinks her long-time boyfriend is going to propose to her tonight so I think I'll go help her get ready._

_Write back when you have time. _

_Bella_

I read it through a couple of times and decided it wasn't going to get any better so I pushed the send button and went down the hall to find Alice. She was bouncing around her room getting ready so I plopped down on the bed to watch. Once she was ready, I hugged her goodbye and wished her luck when Jasper pulled in the driveway and honked.

As soon as they were gone, I ordered a pizza and went back to my laptop, anxious for a reply. I wasn't disappointed and I opened the email immediately, absorbing myself in reading it.

_Hey Bella,_

_You asked me about my favorite subject -- Abigail. She is my beautiful four-year-old daughter and my life definitely revolves around her. She's basically my universe. Right now, she lives with her mother, but I'm doing my best to change that. My lifestyle makes it difficult to have her with me, but I'll think of something. _

_Getting ready for a world tour is almost as exhausting as the tour itself. Most of the planning is done without me, but I have to give final approval to all the tour dates, travel plans, etc. Rehearsing is a whole other subject. We will start rehearsals next week and will rehearse eight to ten hours a day every day until the tour starts. We would have started sooner, but the stage designer had some technical difficulties with some of his ideas that have finally been hammered out… literally. LOL_

_I'm glad you told me something about yourself, however a small amount it was. I get the distinct impression that you haven't been particularly happy in your life yet which is a shame because you deserve happiness just as much as the next girl. I have a plaguing thought that I would like a chance to give you some happiness, but I don't even know if you are interested in meeting me. Truthfully Bella, I think about you a lot and I don't know why I'm so drawn to you. I've never felt this way before and it's confusing. _

_Write back soon, _

_Edward_

Our words were so simple to each other, yet, we both found ourselves drawn to the other one. We emailed back and forth for several weeks until it was time for Edward to leave for his tour. The last email I got from him before he left simply asked me to call him if I wanted to talk, that he would email when he could, and to be expecting a letter in the mail from him.

Two days later, it came. I got home from work to find Alice hardly able to contain herself. "You've got mail!" she sang. I chuckled at her and grabbed the envelope out of her hand. It was a big manila envelope and felt like it was stuffed. I plopped down on the couch and put my feet up on the coffee table. Alice sat next to me bouncing up and down. She hadn't stopped moving since Jasper's proposal and I, for one, was going to be so fucking happy when the wedding was over that I might just drown myself in a big bottle of tequila.

I opened the envelope and dumped the contents on my lap. There was an official itinerary of all of his tour dates, hotels, travel arrangements, everything. There were also five VIP passes to his show in Seattle that was coming up in…_ TWO WEEKS?!_ _When the fuck did that happen?!_ Alice squealed and called Rose to come over. We looked through the rest of the contents. There were several pictures of Edward that were decidedly NOT publicity shots. I freaking loved them. There were pictures of him and Abigail and a few pictures of him alone. I was in heaven! There was also a short note explaining that a car would pick us up for the show and that Edward really hoped I would call him or give him my phone number for him to call me before he got to Seattle.

Pictures and VIP passes went flying when I ran up the stairs and practically threw my laptop through the window trying to get it open fast enough. I heard Rose come through the front door and she and Alice were in the living room screaming. I laughed as I typed the shortest email I had ever sent Edward. It only had one thing on it. My phone number. If we were doing this, we were doing it right, and he was going to be the gentleman and call me. I tore back down the stairs and Rose, Alice and I stayed up celebrating until four in the morning.

Thank God it was a Friday night because… DAMN. I woke up around ten with a splitting fucking headache. I was pretty sure I was going to die, or at least that I would rather. I grabbed my phone and headed down to the kitchen. Emmett and Jasper were in the living room playing video games and acting like typical males doing their bonding bullshit. As soon as they saw me, Emmett bounded into the kitchen after me.

"Bella! I hear we're going to a concert in a couple of weeks!"

I rolled my eyes. "Who invited you, Em?"

"Aw, come on! Seriously, you got five passes, who the hell else are they for?"

I poured a cup of coffee and took a sip, looking at him over the brim of the cup. "They're for me to decide who they're for. I wonder who might be really appreciative of VIP passes to an EC Velvet show?" I cocked my head to the side and tried to look like I was thinking really hard. Jasper walked into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I think it's great you got passes, Bella. Who're you going to take?" he said casually, winking at Emmett.

I started laughing and then stopped, it hurt my head too much. "You guys can go. I'm just fuckin' with ya, Em." He grabbed me in a big bear hug and started swinging me around the kitchen, effectively spilling my coffee all over the floor. I cringed. "Dammit! I have a hangover, Em! Jesus!" He laughed, set me down, and grabbed a towel to start cleaning up the spilled coffee. Jasper handed me a new cup of coffee and just as Alice started stumbling down the stairs my phone rang.

I glanced at it lying on the counter and didn't recognize the number at first. I started to walk away from it and then realized that it might be Edward. I grabbed it and yelled at everybody to shut up before I answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, um, is this Bella?" _OH. MY. GOD. IT'S. HIM!_

"Yeah, this is Bella, is this Edward?" I tried my best to sound composed while all the time my mind was saying, _"Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod…"_

He chuckled. I melted. "Yeah, as a matter of fact, this is Edward. It's great to hear your voice finally!" _What? I… don't… understand… English… ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod…_

"Um, yeah, it's, uh, great to hear yours, too." _What kind of a fucking idiot do I sound like? Christ. He's going to think I'm daft. _

"So, I take it you got my package then?"

"Yes! When did you add a Seattle date?"

"Shortly after we started writing to each other. I figured it would give us a chance to meet in person and you could have all your friends with you, you know, for back up. I hope that's okay. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"Are you crazy? Of COURSE I want to! I can't wait! Sorry, I know I must sound like a crazed fangirl, but I really do want to. I'm anxious to meet you and seeing your show will be great!" He chuckled again. I died. I wanted nothing more than to hear that chuckle in person. I didn't care who thought I was crazy.

"I'm happy to hear that, Bella, really I am. Listen, I've gotta run, but I wanted to be sure to call you back. Is it okay if I call you again?"

"Anytime, Edward. I'd really like that. I don't care what time it is either. I know that you're traveling and time is probably something that you try not to pay attention to."

"Thanks, Bella. I'll try not to let Velvet call you up at four in the morning or anything, okay?" He chuckled again. _Could his voice or his laugh be any fucking sexier than they were? Holy shit he sounds hot on the phone._

"That would be great. I'll talk to you soon then?"

"Sure thing, Bella, soon. Bye!"

"Bye!" As soon as I hung up the phone, hangover or not, I screamed. How did I get so fucking lucky?

Looking back on all of it now, I still can't believe it happened the way it did. Just one letter was all it took. Wow… just wow.

**_End Note: OK EC Velvet is officially on tour. First stop is Madison Square Garden in New York City for his tour kick-off! VIP passes are available to all who REVIEW! Thank you in advance for doing so! :)_**


	7. Okhotnichya

**_A/N I have the best readers in the world! You guys ROCK HARD! Thanks for all the reviews, PM's, Fav adds, and alerts. I know I'm a little behind answering some of your reviews and PM's but I WILL get caught up! RL has been a bitch lately. Whether I answer them right away or not, I read and cherish every single one._**

**_Lillie ~ More than Heathcliff darlin', you know that, right? Couldn't do it without you!_**

_Disclaimer: I don't own TW. Yaddi yaddi yadda. I do own EC Velvet, my other OC's, this story line, the Heartache and Misery album by EC Velvet, and the "Heartache and Misery World Tour" that is currently in progress!_

_**Edward**_

I sat in my penthouse suite at The Plaza in New York City with wonderment. _I talked to her. On the phone. I actually TALKED to her. I can't fucking believe I actually talked to her. And she was excited to talk to me! And I'm going to meet her. I'm actually going to meet her. _I finally pulled myself out of my excitement and hollered at Rhianne.

"Hey, Rhianne, can you come in here for a minute please?" She appeared almost instantaneously, as though she could read my mind. Of course, I was paying her to anticipate my needs and she did it very well.

"What's up, Edward?"

"Make sure that everything is perfect when we get to Seattle and for God's sake make sure the promoter understands that only five VIP passes have been issued for that show and there won't be any additional ones and if I find women in my dressing room other than Bella and her friends, I'm gonna sue somebody!"

"I've made that pretty clear, but I'll make sure that he understands that this is imperative if he ever wants you back for another show."

"Thanks." After that exchange, we went over the schedule for the rest of the day. I had to leave soon and was in desperate need of a shower. As Rhianne retreated and I got up to head to my room, I turned to her and said, "Rhianne, if I never said so before, thank you for giving me Bella's letter. I'll never know why you did… but… well… thank you."

Rhianne stopped and looked at me for a minute and said, "I'm not sure I know why either, Edward, but you're welcome. Somehow, that letter just radiated with your happiness. I can't explain it." She smiled and moved on. I pondered her words as I watched her go. _Radiated with MY happiness?_

The hot water sprayed over me and steam filled the bathroom while I stood in the shower thinking about Bella and what I was going to say when I met her. I knew that the concert was not going to be our first meeting. I would be entirely too hyped up and Velvet would be oozing out of every pore before the concert.

Finally, I knew that I was going to have to get into Velvet mode and get busy. I had a tour kick-off concert to attend to. As much as I wanted to spend the rest of the day in the shower thinking about Bella, I knew I couldn't. I turned off the water and stepped out. I cleared some of the steam from the mirror and stood staring into it. I ran my hands through my wet hair a couple of times and started thinking about the concert. Velvet's voice of excitement to get moving and get to the concert slipped into my mind. _What the fuck am I doing standing here? Gotta go! _

Lyrics ran through my mind while I dressed. I was focused as I walked out of the hotel with my entourage and entered the limo. The guys in my group, Curtis a.k.a. Killa Money, Jon a.k.a. JJ Ritzy, Brad a.k.a. Tenacious V, Ray a.k.a. Manic E, and Chris a.k.a. Brotha T., were with me and we were all spitting lyrics at each other on the way to MSG. We had all known each other for years and our styles complimented each other well.

After we arrived, we rehearsed for a bit, then retired to our dressing rooms. When it was time, I stepped out onto the dark stage and listened to the screaming of twenty thousand fans. The lights came up and EC Velvet raised the microphone and rocked the house.

I slammed the door to my dressing room in the faces of about a hundred screaming girls who were tearing at my fucking clothes. _There was a time I would have invited a few of them in for drinks, but not now. _Rather than reaching for the whiskey, I settled for the Okhotnichya Vodka that I always insisted on having in my dressing room. I poured some in a glass over ice and sat down to wait for the rest of the guys to troop in. I was lost in thought until I noticed the phone in my hand. I stared at it. It said… _"Calling… Bella." SHIT! WHAT TIME IS IT? _I looked wildly around the dressing room for a clock until I heard her voice on the other end.

"Edward? Is that you? Are you there?"

"Oh, uh… hey, Bella… sorry to call you so late…"

Giggles ensued from the other end of the phone._ Fuck. If that isn't an enchanting sound I don't know what is. _I tried to get my Velvet persona under control, realizing that the excitement from the performance had caused me to dial her number without even thinking.

"It's nine at night, Edward. I'm not six. It's not past my bedtime or anything."

_Fuck. And she has a sense of humor too. _"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I forgot about the time difference. Uh, so I just got off stage and found myself calling you and…"

"Really? You just got off stage? And you called me?"

"Um, yeah… sorry. It's the excitement and all. I don't always think things through." _And the monster I've created seems to have a mind of his own sometimes…_

"Oh, no, really, it's okay! I think that's kind of cool actually. How did it go?" _Stay in control. Don't freak her out. _

"Oh, man, Bella, it was unbelievable!" I felt the excitement and adrenaline that always accompanies my public persona overtaking me, and before I could stop it, I was Velvet talking to her. "I think we damn near raised the roof off the Garden. The crowd and the screaming always gets my juices flowing. I crave that shit. I mean, when twenty thousand fans are screaming your fucking lyrics back at you, it does something to you. It's fucking amazing. I'm so stoked about the show and the tour."

Silence. _Uh oh. I crossed the line. Fuck._

"Uh, Bella?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah, I'm here. I was just… absorbing…"

"Sorry. I got a little crazy there for a minute. You'll have to excuse that." _And Velvet needs to shut the fuck up._

"No, it's okay. I'm just… it's all such a new world for me. I… wow. That sounds really amazing, Edward. You get really hyped about it. That's great. Where are you?"

"New York."

"I know… I mean…"

"OH, right now I'm in the dressing room at the Garden. Here in about five minutes the rest of the guys are going to join me. We're going to have a few drinks and then head back to The Plaza for the night. We'll head out for Atlantic City in the morning." The screaming and shouting in the hallway increased and I knew the guys were on their way. I panicked momentarily and had to think fast. Velvet was much harder to keep under control when they were around.

"Hey, Bella, I've got to go. The guys are coming and… well, I've just got to go. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Um, yeah, sure! Tomorrow sounds great!"

"Alright, later then. Great talking to you again!"

"You too, Edward, really. Thanks for calling. Feel free anytime, okay?"

"Thanks, Bella. Talk to you tomorrow." I hung up quickly and the guys descended on my dressing room.

Later on, I was sitting on my balcony at The Plaza relaxing and looking out over the city. I realized that I had lost some measure of control after the show when I called Bella without thinking. I made a mental note to call her in the morning and apologize for that. I worried about what she was going to think of my excitement when I had talked to her. There was always a fine line between the real me and the public me anyway, but I wanted her to know the real me first. She already knew my public persona through my albums and things she had no doubt read or seen on TV. I felt strongly that I had to suppress that part of my personality during these early interactions or I would scare her off. As I pondered all that, I was amazed by the fact that I just couldn't stop thinking about her. A woman I had never met. I checked the clock on my phone and it was four in the morning already.

I needed to sleep so I crawled into the shower to let the hot water relax me for a few minutes. As I did my nighttime ritual, I thought about the private investigator I had hired to watch Tanya and was anxious for his weekly report on Monday morning. If there was anything I hated, it was being out of town and not being able to spend Sunday with Abby. I hoped that everything was okay with her as I drifted off to sleep.

My ringing phone startled me awake at eight twenty-seven. I grabbed it and answered groggily. I hadn't even looked at the phone to see who it was. I assumed it was Rhianne telling me to get my ass out of bed and get moving. It wasn't.

"Edward?"

"Mom?"

"I'm sorry to wake you."

"What happened, mom?" I knew that she would never call me on the second day of a tour at eight something in the morning if there wasn't something very wrong.

"I just wanted you to know that I have Abby. Apparently, Tanya was picked up last night for something. She at least had the sense to leave the babysitter with our phone number in case of emergency."

_Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. _"I'll be there today, mom. I just gotta get a flight out."

"No, no, no, Edward. It's fine. I just thought you should know. Abby is fine here with us for a few days, or however long she needs to stay until you can make other arrangements. I don't know what Tanya got picked up for or how long she'll be in jail, or even if she really is. All I know is that the twelve year old that she left Abby with last night got scared when Tanya wasn't home by three this morning and one of Tanya's… um… male friends… stopped by. The girl called and your father went to pick Abby up immediately, paid the babysitter, and gave her a ride home."

"Jesus Christ! What the fuck is wrong with that bitch?!" I shouted into the phone before I could stop myself.

"Edward! Language, please!"

"Sorry, mom, but damn. I haven't even been gone for two days yet and she's already pulling this shit. It always has to be about her. Maybe I need to cancel the tour, just come home and…"

"You will not cancel your tour, Edward. You'll figure something out where this little girl is concerned. You always do. She's your whole world. That's just your job. You have to do your job to have your world. While I don't agree with your choice in careers, you are very good at what you do, as you would have been anything you chose. I didn't call you to put a guilt trip on you and have you cancel your tour and come home. I called you because I wanted you to know what happened and that she's here and safe. Okay?"

Although Esme could be a royal pain in my ass, she also had a soft side for Abby and would go to the ends of the earth for her, or me, for that matter. I knew that she was right. I couldn't cancel my tour. I would risk losing millions if I did. I sighed. I was sure that the private investigator had been on the job. I would just have to trust that my daughter had been in no danger. "Okay, mom. Thanks. She's alright though? She's not hurt or anything?"

"No, she's just fine."

"Is she awake?"

"Oh, heaven's no. She's sleeping in your room. Your father was called in for an emergency right after he got home with her so I've stayed with her to make sure she was sleeping."

"Okay. I'll call her later. Please let me know if anything else comes up."

"I will. Don't worry yourself about it too much."

"I'll try," I said, with a sigh. How in the world was I not going to worry about her?

After I hung up with Esme, I got out of bed and yanked on a pair of jeans. I tromped into the living area of the suite and called for my breakfast. While I waited for it, I opened my laptop and shot an email at my PI, one at my attorney, and while I was at it, said good morning to Bella and apologized if I was a little rough around the edges the night before. She and I had talked quite a bit about Abby and my concerns about her being with her mother. I considered for a moment and realized that Bella was probably the only friend that I had to talk to about the situation. Being famous doesn't always mean being surrounded by great friends. I've found that it's more about loneliness than anything. I went ahead and told Bella in the email what had happened with Abby. By the time I was done typing it, I was sick about the whole thing. I hit the send button just in time for breakfast and went about my business for the day.

I was always relieved when the first show of the tour was over and went off without a hitch. I knew that the roadies were already in Atlantic City putting the stage together for the show there. It was always amazing to me how much work everyone else put into a tour when all I had to do was show up and sing, rap, entertain, and be… myself, sort of.

Looking back on that day now, it was a horrible day, but a wonderful day all the same. Horrible because Tanya started her downward spiral of being a total bitch, even more than normal, and wonderful because when Bella received my email… SHE called ME!

"Bella?"

"Hi, Edward. I hope you're not too busy… I can call back."

"God, no, Bella! I'm so glad you called!"

"I got your email. I wish there was something I could do to help."

"You just did. Thanks." I could actually hear her smiling over the phone, or at least I imagined that I could.

"You're welcome. I'm just so sorry about your ex and the heartache she's causing."

"Well, that's what she's best at. Heartache and misery." I chuckled. I couldn't help it. How appropriate that Heartache and Misery was the name of my new album and I was on my "Heartache and Misery World Tour." Bella giggled too. God, I just wanted to listen to her giggle all day.

"I'm really excited about the Seattle show. I just… wanted you to know that. Alice is going to drag me out shopping this afternoon so we can get new outfits for it."

"Anything you wear will be fine, Bella. Jeans are probably best, if you… wear jeans." Laughter filled my head from the other end of the phone. I had walked from the front of the tour bus to the back, my private quarters to talk to her. A knock at the door and Rhianne's voice on the other side told me that we were about ten minutes from our daily briefing. I rolled my eyes as I listened to Bella's answer.

"Uh, yeah, I wear jeans." Giggle. "But I have no idea what Alice is going to insist upon so you just never know what I might show up in." More giggling. _Fuck, I LOVE that._

"All I can say to that is, I can't WAIT to see what it is! Unfortunately, I would love to sit here and talk to you all day about what you might, or might not, be wearing, but I have to go. Shit. Did I just say that? Sorry, Bella." Giggling. Laughter. _Damn, I just want to go to her NOW._

"Edward, I feel… the same way… okay, you gotta go, I'm digging a hole. Talk to you later?"

"I'll call you after the show maybe, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, I mind. It might be past my bedtime again." I rolled my eyes at her joke.

"Alright. Talk to you then."

"Bye!" More giggling as she hung up. _Fuck, how am I going to concentrate with that sound resonating in my mind?_

I took a deep breath and tried to wipe the silly grin off my face as I headed back to the rest of the crew for our daily briefing. After that was over, I called Abby. She was still with Esme and Carlisle and was having a time. Esme had taken her to the park and she was so excited about it. She kept asking if I was coming to get her and I felt like the world's biggest asshole father when I told her that I couldn't go get her. She started crying and Esme had to take the phone from her. I asked if she had heard anything from Tanya yet, and of course, she hadn't. I was actually relieved. The longer Tanya stayed away, the better. Maybe she really was in jail. I could only hope that she was there for an extended period of time.

I retired to my private room to take a nap for the rest of the short trip to Atlantic City. Every mile we drove took me one mile closer to meeting Bella, and I couldn't wait. Just before I fell asleep, I sent her a quick text. It was short. _Please email me a pic if you don't mind._ I realized that I'd never asked her for pictures and she had never sent any and damn it, I wanted some.

**_END NOTE: The show at MSG was a total HIT. Lil... I hope you enjoyed those backstage passes. *wink*. Next up, Atlantic City, New Jersey at Borgata. All you gotta do for a pass is REVIEW!_**


	8. Threshold

**_A/N Chapter title is Threshold. It signifies that Bella and Edward are on the threshold of a new relationship and that Tanya is on the threshold of everyone's patience. lol My readers rock hard. Thank you all so much for all the reviews and everything. I'm honored. I'm also behind in answering them. Please forgive me and don't stop reviewing._**

**_Lillie BB, you always go above and beyond for me. Though I don't think you should, I love you for it anyway. You are my angel sent from Heaven to watch over me in all ways. Thank you._**

_Disclaimer: SM owns the Twilight universe. I own this story line, a laptop with some of the letters worn off from me typing so much, a kick-ass flat screen to watch Twilight on, and my own characters. By the way, if you are offended by bad language... DON'T READ THIS FUCKING STORY. That is all. _

_**Bella**_

"ALICE!" I shouted after I hung up the phone that night. I was so excited I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to keep breathing or not. I remember feeling like I was floating outside of my body. Alice flew through my bedroom door where I had been reading alone when Edward called.

"What's the matter?" she had asked, breathlessly. I was unable to hold back the grin on my face. "Oh my God, you're glowing. He called again?!"

"Yes! Right after his show! Oh my God, Alice, I don't know what to think, or do, or feel, or anything!" My heart was pounding out of my chest. I couldn't believe that I had kept my squealing under control when I was on the phone.

"Breathe, Bella. Right now you have to breathe!" She was right. I was hyperventilating. Nothing so exciting had ever happened to me before and I had never been so excited about anyone of the male species before either. When I was finally able to talk again, I told Alice all about the phone call. We were both squealing and bouncing on the bed by the time I was done. Jasper's form appeared in the door.

"What are you two girls in here squealing about?" Both of us erupted in fresh squeals and laughter as we excitedly told Jasper what was going on. He shook his head at us both and chuckled. "Just like teenagers," he said as he turned and left.

The events of the following twenty-four hours were a blur. Alice, Rosalie, and I made a pitcher of margaritas that night to celebrate. The next morning when I got up, I found that I was still floating on a cloud. Then, I got an email from Edward that his stupid fucking ex-wife had left his daughter alone with a twelve year old and went out and got herself arrested. I was really beginning to loathe that bitch and I hadn't even come close to meeting her yet. I wondered if I ever would or if meeting Edward was going to be a big enough disaster that I would never meet his little girl, ex-wife, or even see him again. I had called Edward to let him know I got the message and he was so excited to talk to me that I was back up on cloud nine again. Later that day, Alice, Rosalie, and I went shopping for frames for the pictures Edward had sent. I was also in a quandary about the text I had gotten from Edward requesting a picture of me.

"Why would he want a picture all of a sudden, Rosalie?"

"Probably because he's been thinking about you non-stop and wants to put a face with a name. I don't know what you're freaking out about."

"But what if he doesn't like me after he sees my picture?"

"Bella, just stop. You know that's not going to happen. You're beautiful. Let's send one of the pictures we took that night we went to Venom. You were lookin' fine that night." Alice always had all the answers to everything.

"Thanks, Alice, but I'm still nervous about it. I mean, what if he looks at me and thinks I'm ugly, or what if I'm not what he pictured, or what if…"

"Bella!" Rosalie cut me off, turning around to glare at me. "You are not ugly and he is _not _infatuated with your looks. He is infatuated with your mind. Remember that this all happened because of a letter. Now stop freaking out and let's decide what we're wearing to the show!" I looked at her face and she was sincere. Alice was nodding her head and singing along with "Halo" by Beyonce on the stereo.

"I'm wearing jeans," I said determinedly. I knew it was a battle I wasn't going to win, but I could at least try.

Alice glanced back from the steering wheel and then stared out the front window of the car again. I watched as her grip on the steering wheel tightened and her knuckles turned white. Then she relaxed ever so slightly before saying, in a voice that was eerily calm for Alice, "You're not wearing jeans and you're not arguing either."

"But, he told me jeans would be appropriate."

"I don't care. He's a man. What does he know about appropriate?" I shrugged and sighed. There was no arguing with Alice when it came to couture. She was the resident expert. The only person that knew even close to what Alice knew about fashion was Rosalie and even she asked for Alice's advice about clothes. I looked out the window of the car, deciding not to honor her question with an answer. Besides that, it was rhetorical. Nothing I could say would sway her and I knew better.

After a couple of hours of fruitless shopping, Emmett and Jasper joined us at our favorite Italian restaurant for supper. I recall checking my phone about every five minutes all afternoon to see what time it was, to see if I had a text from him, to see if I had missed a call from him, to see if I had another email from him. I was toast. I was totally head over heels for this man that I had never met. I couldn't stop thinking about him. I had three more days of classes to teach that week and I had no idea how I was going to get through them. I couldn't concentrate on anything but Edward and his velvet voice, his tiny daughter, his imbecile ex-wife, and the fact that two weeks from that moment, I would have met him and had no idea what was in store for me after that. It was six o'clock and I knew it was almost time for Edward to take the stage in Atlantic City. I wondered if he would call after he got done or not.

I felt Jasper's eyes on me before I heard his smooth voice with his sexy southern drawl say, "Aren't you going to eat, Bella?"

I snapped my head up and looked at the mushroom ravioli sitting on my plate getting cold. "Oh, yeah, I was going to…" Emmett, being the big brother I had never had, was always full of great advice.

"I dunno what the fuck you're all wigged out about, Bells. What's the worst that happens? He comes to town, sleeps with you, and leaves. At least you can tell everybody you slept with EC Velvet, right?" Rosalie punched him in the shoulder.

I stared at him, blinking. "Do you think that's all he wants? To sleep with me? Oh my God."

Rosalie grabbed my arm, "No, that's not all he wants, Bella. I think what he wants is a friend. Don't listen to Emmett. You know he only has one thing on his mind."

"Yeah," I said, straightening up in my seat and poking at my food with my fork, "the same thing that all men have on their minds."

"I resemble that remark," Emmett said playfully, plopping a big bite of lasagna in his mouth.

"I don't," Jasper said softly. "I love Alice because she's my soulmate and my queen. Her body is just a lucky strike extra." Alice squealed and hugged him and they were suddenly lost in a passionate kiss. Rosalie glared at Emmett.

"Sorry, babe," he said with a grin. "I love you for all those reasons, too, but you are a _fuckin' wildcat_ in the bedroom." Rosalie huffed and rolled her eyes, going back to eating her dinner.

After dinner that night we went home and I retired to my bedroom to see if I could find a picture that was suitable to email to Edward. After Alice and Jasper got 'cleaned up', which was code for bathroom sex, Alice came in to help me. I had eight pictures open on the desktop and couldn't figure out which ones to send. We, and I use the term loosely, because Alice did all the deciding, chose three photos to email to Edward. I composed an email that tried to sound 'confident' in my appearance, per Alice's instructions, and sent them. Nervously, I waited to hear what he thought.

Around eleven that night, he called. I had almost given up and was just laying down in bed to stare at the picture of him and Abby that I had placed on my bedside table when my phone rang. I snatched it up and sat straight up in bed when I answered.

"Hello? Edward?"

"Hey, Bella, how's it going? Is it too late?"

"Absolutely not! I told you any time! I'm good… how are you?" I tried to sound happy, but not overly excited. I hoped that my intonation was not too squeaky. Why the hell I was so nervous, who knew?

"The show was great. We're on our way to Hartford, Connecticut tonight. We have a show at the Comcast Theater on Tuesday night so tomorrow is a day off supposedly. I know Rhianne has some shit I have to do, but I'm not sure what. I'm trying to remain oblivious. It's the best way." I laughed a little bit at his attempts to remain oblivious of his schedule. I felt sure that Edward was the kind of guy that knew exactly where he was supposed to be and when, but just didn't want to go into all the lurid details with me right then.

"So, you're like, on a bus?"

"Yeah, The Beast, as we call it," he chuckled. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I loved the sound of his laughter. My heart was racing as he continued. "So, Tanya showed up at my mom's this evening and picked up Abby I guess. Mom said she didn't share where she had been for twenty-four hours, just said 'thanks' and left with her. I'm anxious to hear from my lawyer and PI tomorrow."

"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry. That's got to be so difficult for you, being away and not knowing exactly what's going on." I really felt for him. He sounded so sad talking about Abby and I knew that being away from her was killing him. He talked about her a lot in his letters. I knew that she meant the world to him and realized that Rosalie was right, he needed a friend.

"Yeah, it's tough, but it's all going to work itself out. On an up note, this hot chick sent me these awesome pictures of her in my email and she is drop-dead fucking gorgeous. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" He chuckled again as my gut leapt into my throat. _Did he just refer to me as a hot chick and call me drop-dead gorgeous? Holy shit!_

"Um, I don't know. Did you know the address they came from?" I asked innocently. He laughed aloud before answering.

"God, Bella. You're beautiful. Thanks for the pictures. Do you mind if I have them printed in the morning so I can keep them with me? It'll give me something to look forward to."

"Um, you can do whatever you like with them. They're for you. I hope they didn't scare you away."

"You've got to be fucking kidding me. You. Are. Beautiful. I'd like to find the asshole that made you feel like you weren't and beat his ass into oblivion." I was surprised by his protectiveness and resolve. Our relationship had been nothing more than a few letters and even fewer phone calls, yet the connection we both seemed to feel was infinite.

"Thanks, Edward… I… well, thanks."

We talked a little more about his show and he told me that he had started writing a new song. He said that I had inspired his new song and he couldn't wait for me to hear it. I didn't know quite how to feel about that. Most of the songs on his new album were full of hate and anger towards his ex. Could I hope that I was helping to chip that hate and anger away?

The next few days passed in relative quiet with school finishing up and me spending the rest of my waking hours either talking to Edward, emailing Edward, waiting for an email from Edward, or waiting for a call from Edward. Rosalie took Thursday afternoon off and we went shopping with Alice for our outfits for the upcoming concert a week from Saturday. I still wanted to wear jeans but Alice wasn't hearing it. I finally agreed to a skirt and blouse as long as she didn't make me wear a cocktail dress or evening gown as she had originally wanted. I made my case that it was a rap/hip-hop concert, not the symphony orchestra or the opera that we were going to attend. She relented at that.

I was happy with the outfit I got. The skirt was white with all over box pleats. It fell to mid-thigh and was fitted at the waist with a wide brown belt. It was a French Connection, which apparently meant a lot more to Rosalie and Alice than it did me. I liked it nonetheless. I was ready to shell out the two hundred dollars it was going to cost before Alice stepped in and paid for it. I let her. She liked to buy me clothes and I was too happy to start an argument with her. We found a blouse to go with it that was sapphire blue and white. It was form fitting and cut low, but not too low. I got white high heels to wear with it and knew that I would have to practice walking in them so that I didn't fall on my face and make an ass of myself. Rosalie and Alice gave me their stamp of approval on the outfit even though I picked it out myself for the most part.

After that was over, I couldn't wait to get home. Edward was on his way to Philadelphia to play at Wachovia Center and I was hoping for a call or email. I didn't have to wait long. As soon as I got home I huffed up the stairs as fast as I could, hung my new outfit in the closet and sat down in front of my laptop. There it was. A new message from Edward Cullen. I almost squealed when I opened it. The pleasure didn't last long though.

_Bella,_

_Sorry I wasn't able to call or write yesterday, it was a bad day. I spent most of the day on the phone with my lawyer and Seth, my PI. Apparently, Tanya has gone off the deep end since I left town last week. I don't know what the hell to do. I had to go ahead and file my custody suit against her, plus I had to ask for temporary custody, and I had to have a restraining order placed against her to keep her away from my mother. You're never going to believe the shit she pulled while I was busy with my show Tuesday night. I don't even really know if you want to hear about this, but I have to tell someone. It's tearing me up. I'm fighting the urge to say fuck it all and go home. _

_Seth reported to me that he was watching the house Saturday night when Tanya left. He had seen the 12-year-old babysitter and had decided to remain with Abby that night rather than follow Tanya. He called a friend of his to follow Tanya. I guess_ _Abby was okay all night, but one of Tanya's drug dealers went to her door at 2:30 in the morning. That was the guy that scared the babysitter. Seth said he almost shot the guy because he knew him from other dealings he had around town. _

_The guy that followed Tanya had even more fun. He got to follow her to the ghetto where she was photographed purchasing cocaine and prescription pain medications from a well-known drug dealer. Then, he had the pleasure of following her to some club where she proceeded to get smashed and fuck some random dude in the bathroom. Thankfully, I have proof of that thanks to the PI. She left around midnight, with some other loser, and got behind the wheel of her car to follow this guy to his place. Somewhere along the way, she was stopped and was arrested for DUI. She had the audacity to try to throw MY name around to the cops to try to get out of it. Not sure who bailed her out, but my suspicion points to her mother, who always bails her out. She wasn't even in jail for 24 hours before she got out and went to find Abigail. _

_I guess she must have stayed home and sobered up on Monday, but Tuesday she was at it again. The drug dealer from Saturday night showed up at the house again and not only did she give him a fistful of cash, she got some more drugs from him, and invited him into the house. Abby was there, Bella. Seth assured me that he watched and listened closely and that if Abby had been in any danger, he would have intervened, but mostly he took pictures and recorded conversations and such. After she was sufficiently fucked up, the drug dealer left, and then Tanya left. She took Abby with her. Seth followed them to my mother's house where Tanya got out and made a big fuckin' scene in the front yard screaming and yelling, cussing my mother out, throwing her shoes at her, and threatening to keep Abby from her if she didn't "stay out of her face." Mom called the police, but by the time they got there, Tanya was gone. Seth followed her to make sure that Abby got home safely, which she did, but it could have been much worse. I guess mom filed a complaint against her for disorderly conduct and trespassing or something. I don't know. By the time I got to that part, I couldn't even think anymore. _

_Bella, I'm so fuckin' angry with her. I just don't know how I'm going to manage to stay on task with this tour. I want Abigail with me, but I have a lot of arrangements I have to make before I can do that. The good news is that I got an emergency court date next week so I can stop in Chicago on my way to Seattle, go to court, hopefully get Abby, and go on to Seattle. I can't wait to get there. I just need a friend, so much. Thanks for being one and listening. I'll try to call you tonight after the show if I'm not too drunk. Honestly, I don't think I even want to drink. It would be too depressing. _

_Thanks again, Love, Edward  
(Is love too strong a word? Because I do feel very affectionate towards you and our blossoming friendship.)_

My heart was absolutely breaking for him. That woman seriously had no business trying to raise a four-year-old with the shit she was doing. For the first time, I found myself wishing for the ability to go to Chicago and take Abby away from her mother. It wasn't the last time I felt like that. I had never been much of the maternal sort, but Edward's love for his daughter was causing my maternal instincts to kick in. I was crying as I wrote my reply.

_Edward,_

_I feel quite affectionate towards our friendship as well and I'm really feeling very protective of your daughter right now. I'm so very sorry you're having to deal with all this. I wish there was something I could do to make it all go away for you. I'm fighting the urge to fly to Chicago, take Abby away from that woman, and punch the bitch in the face. Sorry, I shouldn't call her names, but I have a feeling with her it's an issue of 'if the shoe fits.'_

_I really hope that your attorney and PIs can give you enough ammunition to get temporary custody while you are waiting for your custody case to go through. I just don't know what you're going to do if not. I can see that this is really weighing heavy on your mind and I want so much to be able to make it better for you. I really do. _

_Please don't ever worry about calling me any time day or night. School is out so I don't have anything to get up early for right now. I've chosen not to offer any summer courses this year in an attempt to remember how to enjoy life for a change. I'm available any time you need to talk. If what you need is a friend, I'm your girl._

_Take care, Edward. Really. Remember to take care of yourself._

_Love,  
__Bella_

Talking to Edward later that night was even worse. I wasn't sure, but I thought I detected sobbing in his voice at one point in time. That might have been the first time that I realized that all the affection and protectiveness I was feeling towards Edward was turning into love. How I could fall in love with someone I hadn't met, I didn't know, but there it was. I loved him. I can't say that I told him that. Not then. I wish I had, but I just didn't have the guts. I started counting down to his court date on Wednesday of the next week. I just hoped and prayed that it went well for him.

**_End Note: SO, after Atlantic City, EC Velvet is headed to Comcast Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. Militza, I sent your VIP passes, make sure you get there on time BB. VIP passes go to all reviewers for the show in the nearest city so hurry up and get in line ya'll! We need to sell these shows OUT!_**


	9. Justice

**_A/N Thanks for all the reviews! I hope you are all enjoying your VIP passes. This chapter is pretty angsty and a lot of "unsureofmyselfward". Hope you enjoy it. He's kind of cute this way, in my opinion. Forum Stalkers... You Rock Ladies!_**

**_I'm always trying to think of new ways to thank you Miss Lillie, but I'm falling short today. Anyway, you're fabulous, I hope you know that by now. I love you like a sister, darlin'. _**

_Disclaimer: You know the drill. SM owns and all that. I own this story, my own OC's, and Rapward. _

_**Edward**_

I know my jaw dropped to the floor when I received Bella's pictures. It was the woman I had seen in my dreams for weeks. How my dreams could have been so accurate in depicting her without ever having laid eyes on her, I didn't know. All I knew was that she was fucking gorgeous and adding her beauty to her wonderful personality was a complete bonus for me.

After Atlantic City and Hartford, we took off for Philadelphia. The shows were going great and I was really enjoying being back on tour if it weren't for my bitch ex-wife. She was making my life hell. I was on the phone daily with Seth and the attorney. Esme was pissed that I put a restraining order against Tanya. She wanted to be able to see Abby. I tried to explain to her that she could still see Abby, but she pointed out to me that Tanya was pissed off and not letting her see Abby. I assured her that after the temporary custody hearing, I hoped that she would be keeping Abby for a little while.

The worst part of the whole situation was that the media had caught wind of the 'Tanya affair' and was smearing me all over the newspapers and television for not cancelling my tour. I don't know what the hell they wanted from me. If I cancelled the tour they would smear me for that and if I didn't cancel it, I was a bad father. It was enough to make you want to quit and not live 'the life' anymore. Having paparazzi crawling up your ass all the time was bad enough without the media questioning your parenting abilities because your ex-wife was a fuckin' idiot.

I had Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to go before I went to Chicago for the hearing and then on to Seattle. I was dying to get to Seattle. I had arranged to have 3 days there so that Bella and I could spend some time together if she wanted to. I was a little scared that Tanya was going to fuck up my plans and I would not be able to meet Bella. It wouldn't have been the first time that she fucked up my plans.

I talked to Bella on the phone every day and we emailed every day too. She was so easy to talk to. She listened so well and was always interested in what I was saying even if I was just talking about mundane shit. We were learning more about each other all the time and I realized on more than one occasion that I was falling in love with her before I had ever met her. I wanted to tell her so badly, but didn't want to scare her away. She had a rough go of it, too, and I wasn't sure if she was ready for a new relationship, especially one with me. I thought about all the things in her life that would change if she was with me and wondered if it was even fair of me to think about having a relationship with her. She'd have reporters and paparazzi following her around everywhere she went. Nothing in her life would be private anymore. Her life would turn into an open book for the whole world to read. Bella was a very private person. I knew she wouldn't like being in the spotlight like that, but I couldn't just turn my back on her. Every time I thought about how wrong of me it was to want a relationship with her, something drew me back to her and to the thoughts of wanting to have her with me.

The day before the hearing, I arrived in the Pittsburgh airport to a throng of reporters shoving their microphones in my face and asking me questions. Rhianne and the two bodyguards tried to keep them away from me, but it was no use. It seemed like there were just too many of them. Rhianne tried to do damage control and tell them all that I had no comments at this time, but they weren't satisfied with that. To top it all off, Bella called while I was right in the middle of that mess. There was no way I was letting anyone see my phone or hear her voice and start new rumors that I was seeing someone else. It wouldn't take them long to figure it out and she wouldn't have a moment's peace after that. Begrudgingly, I hit the ignore button while the phone was in my pocket and kept walking.

When we landed in Chicago, it was even worse. I walked out into O'Hare airport to another sea of reporters. When my bodyguards started walking through them, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. We finally made it to the car and I breathed a sigh of relief as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed Bella's number.

"Edward? Are you okay? Oh my God, I just saw you on the news! Those people are relentless!"

"Great, I was hoping you didn't see that. I'm okay. Are you?"

"I'm fine. I don't have all those reporters after me wanting to know all about my private life." It was just another affirmation to me that trying to have a relationship with her wasn't a good idea. I didn't know what the hell I was thinking, dragging her into my life.

"Bella…" I started to say it to her, to tell her that we shouldn't be friends, that I wasn't good for her, but I couldn't make the words come out of my mouth. I needed her too much.

"What is it? What's wrong?

"Nothing. It's just been a long day already. My mouth was in gear before my brain was. Forget it." _Dumbass chickenshit. Just tell her._

"I'm so sorry. Are you going to be able to see Abby today?"

"I'm going to try. I don't know if Tanya will let me or not." I was miserable thinking about what was sure to be a confrontation with Tanya. I fully intended to go pick Abby up and take her to my downtown apartment for the night but I didn't have any idea whether Tanya would let me take her or not.

"Surely she has to let you, doesn't she? I mean, you have joint custody and you have visitation, right?"

"Yeah, but with Tanya things aren't always black and white. Everything is gray. She makes up the rules as she goes along to suit her own purposes." I felt myself relaxing while I was talking to Bella. Just hearing her voice made all the bad things in my life seem not so bad anymore.

"I wish there was something I could do." I wished she knew that just being there was the most important thing she could do. Her selfless care for my situation astounded me.

"Bella, you're my friend, and truthfully, you're one of the very few that I have. That, in and of itself, means more to me than anything else you could ever do. Thank you."

"I find it hard to believe that you don't have friends, Edward, but you're welcome. It makes me feel really good that you feel like you can talk to me and that my friendship is help enough."

We talked a little more. I told her I planned to go pick Abby up and would let her know how that went. When we hung up, she wished me luck. If only luck were all I needed.

Once we made it to my house, I took my bag inside and showered quickly. I changed and went downstairs and out to the garage where my faithful Volvo was parked. I stared at it for a minute. I had a serious desire to ditch it. There would probably be reporters waiting for me everywhere and my Volvo was a well-known asset of mine, they would be watching for it. I sighed and shrugged as I got in. It didn't matter. They were going to find me no matter what I was driving. I headed for Tanya's house and braced myself. Seth was there watching the place and I knew that if there was anything I needed to concern myself with, he would have called me.

I pulled up in front and got out of the car. I looked around for Seth and noted his vehicle across the street and down the block a ways. He nodded his head once at me and I nodded back. I turned around to look at the house and drew in a deep breath before I started walking towards the front door. Tanya was out the door before I got there.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I came to see my daughter."

"Well turn around and get back in your car. You're NOT kidnapping her from me today!"

I stared at her. _Did she just say kidnap?_ "What are you talking about, Tanya? I have visitation rights. I haven't seen her in almost two weeks. I want to see my daughter. Don't make me call a cop."

"You call the cops, Edward. Go right ahead. You're not getting her today and you're definitely not getting her tomorrow. You had just better think again."

"Tanya, can't you just be reasonable? I know she's here. Just let me keep her tonight. I won't be back in town for quite a while. Can't we just put our differences aside for Abby's sake?"

"Fuck you, Edward. Get the hell out of here and don't fucking come back. She's not going with you and that's final. We may have joint custody, but I have residential custody, and after tomorrow I'm going to have sole custody. I make the rules in this game because I'm her MOTHER. Children belong with their mothers and that's that." I could see that I wasn't going to win this battle so I backed off.

"Fine. I won't see her tonight, but it's not going to make you look good in court tomorrow that you wouldn't let me."

"I don't care. Get. Out."

I heaved a breath and turned around to go back to the car. When I climbed in, I saw Abby looking out the upstairs window crying. I stood up and blew her a kiss and Tanya's mother picked her up and whisked her away. _Bitch._

With nothing left to do, I drove downtown to my waterfront apartment. At least I had Lake Shore Drive to keep my mind occupied for a few hours. I received a text from Seth stating that he had recorded the whole conversation. How he had done that, I had no idea, but I was glad he did. He also texted me when Tanya's mother left a couple of hours later. I had fallen asleep in my chair in front of the television later that evening and woke with a start at midnight to the sound of someone banging on my door. _What the? Who got in here without my giving permission for them to come in?_

I walked over and threw the door open, expecting to find some crazed fan, a cop, a reporter, anything but what I did find. It was Seth. He had Abigail asleep in his arms. My eyes widened as I stepped aside for him to walk into my apartment.

He whispered, "Where do you want me to put her?"

I motioned for him to follow me and led him into her bedroom. He laid her on the bed and I took her shoes off her. She opened her eyes long enough to see me and smile. She wrapped her little hand around my finger and said, "My daddy," before rolling over and falling back to sleep. I knew that Seth was going to see the tears in my eyes when I looked back up at him and followed him out of the room.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"She left her there, alone. I couldn't just stand by and watch anymore."

"WHAT? She left her home ALONE? What… I don't… what the fuck, Seth? Where did she go?"

"Calm down, Edward. Brady is on her. Don't worry. We'll know exactly where she went."

I sat down and held my head in my hands. "What am I gonna do, Seth? I can't… I don't… I need… oh God." I started sobbing. What would have happened if Seth had not been there? What if it had not been the first time? I knew right then that there was no way that Abby was ever going back to Tanya again.

Seth stayed with me until I calmed down. It took a while, truthfully. All of the mourning for my marriage, the love that Tanya and I had lost, the time spent away from my daughter, everything came to the surface for me and for the first time it wasn't just hate. I found that I truly was sad for the losses I had endured.

Tanya and I had been high school sweethearts. When I left for college, I had left her behind, promising to marry her someday. When I decided to quit college and explore a career in the music business, I had made good on my promise to marry her. We were young and stupid and in love. By the time she was pregnant with Abby, things had started to change between us, but we tried to hold it together. At least I did.

Tanya's drug problem had started after Abby was born. I tried so hard to give her all the love she needed to keep her away from the drugs and all the stuff that came with them. It just was never enough. She was out screwing around all the time, high or drunk all the time, ignoring Abby all the time.

My career was starting to go gangbusters and it got harder and harder to put up with Tanya behaving the way she did. It was taking its toll on me and something had to change. That was when I decided I couldn't do it anymore and had bought her the house and moved her out. She went crazy then. Although, she managed to keep it together enough in public to make me look like the bad guy in court. Well, that wasn't going to happen again.

Two hours later I thanked Seth for being there to rescue my baby girl and for being there for me while I had my nervous breakdown. I had never cried so many tears. Amazingly, as soon as Seth walked out my door, promising to meet me in court in the morning, Bella was the first name that came to my mind. I walked to Abby's bedroom door and watched her sleep for a few minutes. She was so beautiful and innocent. I hoped to keep her that way.

Bella answered on the first ring. I surprised myself when I started to cry again. She was so understanding and gentle. I didn't deserve someone as wonderful as her. She listened to me go on and on about all the things that I had been thinking and grieving about in the last couple of hours. She didn't question me. She didn't judge me. She didn't laugh at me. She just listened.

After we hung up, I stood in the living room staring out the windows at the lake. It was almost four in the morning and I knew I had to get some sleep. I looked around and decided on the couch as it was closest to Abby's room. I was afraid she would be scared when she woke up.

I didn't have to worry that Abby would awaken before me in the morning. At seven my phone rang. It was Tanya.

"Where the fuck is she, Edward? I'm calling the cops. You bring her home right fucking now!"

"Why don't you just stop while you're ahead, Tanya. You left her ALONE last night. A four-year-old. ALONE. Do you have any idea how fucking irresponsible that is? What the hell were you thinking?"

"What I do with my time is none of your goddamn business. Where are you? At your house or your apartment? I'm coming to get her so you better just tell me which one."

"First of all, where I am is none of YOUR goddamn business. Secondly, what you do IS my business if you put my daughter's life in danger. Thirdly, you're not taking her anywhere. She's with me and she's safe. I'll see you in court at ten." I hung up to the sounds of her screaming and yelling at me. Of course, as soon as she realized I had hung up, she called again. I turned off the cell. Before long, the phone at the apartment started ringing. I unplugged it. Rather than arguing with her, I just ignored her and went to the kitchen to fix pancakes for my baby.

Abby screamed around eight. I ran to her bedroom door and as soon as she saw me she squealed and ran over to jump into my arms. She held me so tight. It was heaven.

"It's alright, baby, daddy's here," I crooned in her ear.

"I missed you, daddy! Where you been?"

"I had to go on tour for work, baby, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" she said with a smile. All was right with my heart again. I had my baby back in my arms. She devoured her pancakes as though she hadn't eaten in days. I was curious.

"What did you have for supper last night, baby?"

"Chips!" she said, happily. Chips. Fucking. Bitch. She fed my daughter CHIPS for supper and then put her to bed and left her in the house ALONE. I held my tongue, but my mind was going a thousand miles an hour. I also noticed that Abby's hair was a mess and her face had dirt on it. Her feet looked like she had been playing outside in the mud without shoes on. I was so pissed.

I ran her a bath and went to find some clothes for her. I didn't have much at the apartment, but I did find some clean pajamas to put her in. I turned the cell on long enough to call my mom and ask her to come get Abby and buy her some clothes. While I was on the phone with her, Tanya beeped in three times. I was really surprised she hadn't shown up at my door yet. I didn't answer her. As soon as I hung up with mom, I called my attorney and let him know what had happened. Abby was watching cartoons and seemed to be happy with that, so I took care of all the business I needed to take care of which included calling Rhianne and telling her to find out what had happened to Abby's au pair. I was going to need someone quick and I was going to need someone I trusted. No way was I leaving Abby in Chicago with her mother on the loose.

Mom arrived and Abby was extremely happy to see her. She took her and told me to leave her as long as I needed to. I thanked her and headed out for court. I wanted to be early and didn't want to be at home waiting for Tanya to show up.

I was so relieved when the hearing was over. The judge had granted me temporary sole custody after Seth's testimony and had set a trial date for the custody trial at a convenient time for me. Tanya had freaked out in the courtroom and gotten herself thrown in jail for contempt of court before it was all over. I couldn't say I was sad about that. She deserved it. She was screaming and shouting obscenities at the judge. I was really glad that Abby was with my mom and not in the courtroom to see her mother's breakdown. I was pretty sure that Tanya was high while in court, but couldn't prove it. I just knew from her behavior patterns that being high was the most likely explanation.

In elation, I called Bella on my way to my mom's house. "I got her, Bella!" were the first words out of my mouth when she answered the phone. She squealed and it brought a huge smile to my face.

"I'm so happy, Edward! I knew you would get her!"

"I'm glad somebody knew. It wasn't until Seth gave his testimony that the judge's tune changed. I was sweating there for a bit."

"I just know everything is going to work out for you, Edward. You deserve some happiness."

She always knew the right things to say to me. No one could make me feel good about things like she could. I was overwhelmed with the desire to go to her immediately. I knew, however, that I needed to stay with Abby for at least a day. I resigned myself to that, not that it was a bad thing, because it wasn't; my desires were just in conflict with each other. I didn't really want to take Abby with me to meet Bella, but at the same time, I needed and wanted to be with Abby. I knew that Bella would understand, but at the same time, she didn't even know I had planned on flying to Seattle the next day. I kept it to myself. No sense disappointing her, if she would even be disappointed.

Rhianne found my nanny and I made arrangements with her to come back to Abby. Mary was thrilled at the prospect of taking care of Abby again and was even more excited about going with me for part of the tour. My mother insisted that she didn't need Mary's help while Abby was with her, but I won out in the end. Abby would need to get used to Mary again before I sent for them so Mom finally agreed.

Mary arrived at my parents' home on Friday morning and by noon, she and Abby were best friends again. No one had heard anything from Tanya so I hoped that she was safely ensconced in jail. By Friday afternoon, I was starting to get anxious for my Seattle show and, of course, meeting Bella. I booked a flight for early Saturday morning and had Rhianne make all my requested arrangements for my initial meeting with Bella. That night, I fell asleep in Abby's room. I kissed her goodbye early Saturday morning and left her, feeling satisfied that this time she would be safe.

Bella didn't know I would be coming early. She thought that the first she would meet me was backstage at the concert. I tried to figure out how to make it work out as a surprise and it dawned on me to call her friend Alice. It didn't take Rhianne long to run down Alice's information and before I knew it, I was talking to the most excited sounding person I had ever talked to before in my life. No wonder Bella referred to her as 'the pixie on speed.' Once all the plans were made, I boarded the plane and was on my way to Seattle and to Bella. I felt excitement that I hadn't felt about anything in so long. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt that way. As we approached the Seattle airport, my stomach turned in knots hoping that everything went well. What if she didn't like me?

**_End Note: OK, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh stops for this chapter so all you ladies in those areas, review for your VIP passes. Next up is Seattle, and although backstage passes won't be available for the Seattle show, front row tickets WILL be available. Sorry, that show is strictly off limits for backstage for anyone other than Bella and her friends. Review, review, review... EC Velvet will come to a city near YOU!_**


	10. Infatuation

**_A/N Firstly, I suck, totally. I haven't been able to keep up with RL, writing, and answering reviews lately. I'm SORRY. I HAVE read each and every one and they are all special to me. I WILL get caught up, I promise. Please don't stop reviewing just because I'm not answering. _**

**_Secondly, here is the moment we have all been waiting for. Bella and Edward finally meet! Yay! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!_**

**_Lillie ~ More than Romeo! Your mad beta skills are nothing compared to the wonderful friend you are. :)_**

_Disclaimer: Don't own anything Twilight, SM has the honor. I own this story line, my own OC's, and a DVD collection that would rival any video store in town. Any references to any persons, places, or things that may be real in this story are strictly for entertainment purposes and are not made with the intention of making a profit, or even a dime, or anything. (Although I wish I could, I can't.) WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE appears in this story!_

_**Bella**_

I remember that day clearly, as though it were yesterday. It was the day I met Edward and, though my life had changed a lot by then, that was the day it turned inside out. I had awakened early that morning to the sound of the house phone ringing, which, as I recall, was very odd since it never did. I heard Alice answer it, say something very low, and then heard her bedroom door click shut down the hall. I rolled out of bed and headed for the shower. I didn't want to be awake already because I figured it would be a late night, but I was too excited about the concert to go back to sleep.

I stood in the shower forever going over in my mind what I was going to say when I met him. _Hi, Edward, nice to finally meet you. Nice to finally meet you, Edward. I'm so excited to finally meet you, Edward. _Everything sounded totally lame. I finally decided to quit trying to plan it and just say whatever sounded good at the time, no matter how much of an idiot I ended up sounding like.

After I got out of the shower, I combed my hair, pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and headed out to get some coffee. Alice nearly scared the shit out of me standing in my bedroom throwing things out of my closet.

"What the hell, Alice?"

She glanced at me absently and said, "I'm trying to find you something to wear."

"Um, I AM wearing something." I hoped she didn't have anything big planned for the day because I just wanted to relax. It was going to be a big night for me.

Clothing continued to fly out of my closet and I started laughing as Alice tossed things every direction and cursed under her breath. "You're NOT wearing THAT," she said, mid-toss, and continued digging.

I was confused. I looked over at the calendar on the wall. The only entry was "Edward's Seattle concert" for the day. Alice was acting very strangely and I hadn't had any coffee yet to get my brain kick-started enough to even remotely understand what she was doing. I shrugged and brushed past her to go downstairs and get the coffee going. I met up with Jasper and Emmett in the kitchen who were both whispering about something. They both looked at me with stupid grins on their faces when I walked in. I walked over to the coffee pot, grabbed a cup, and started to pour. "What's going on, guys?"

Emmett handed me the cream and said jovially, "Nothin', Bella. What's up with you today?"

I eyed him suspiciously while putting cream in my coffee and reaching for the sugar. "Nothing, Emmett. What are you so happy about? And why are you over here so early?"

Emmett had his usual 'deer in the headlights' look that he always gets when he's been busted with his hand in the cookie jar. "I, uh, Jasper… called me."

I sat down on one of the barstools and looked them both over carefully. I could hear Alice still unloading my closet upstairs. Something was going on. I was positive when Rosalie walked in, already made up for the day, carrying her coffee cup. She was… cheerful, which is a stretch for Rosalie. She walked over and kissed Emmett before saying, "Good morning, Bella, Jasper. Where's Alice?"

"Morning, Rose. Alice is upstairs deconstructing my wardrobe. What brings YOU over so early? Did Jasper call you, too?"

Jasper stood and walked out of the kitchen with Emmett right behind him. Rosalie looked guilty as hell, but just as I was about to confront her to find out what the hell was going on, Alice appeared beside me, out of breath, and started pulling on my arm. Rose grinned knowingly and grabbed my other arm. They started upstairs with me asking a thousand questions.

"What are you guys doing? Where are we going? What's going on?"

"We're taking you out for breakfast," Alice said resolutely.

"And then a spot of shopping," Rosalie added.

I stopped on the spot, just as we were entering my bedroom. "No, I'm not going shopping today. I need to rest."

"Okay, we'll skip the shopping, but you will agree to go to breakfast with us?" Alice glanced at her watch as she spoke and Rosalie looked repeatedly between Alice and myself. I walked over, sat down on the bed, and crossed my arms.

"WHAT is going on? You two are acting freaking weird and I want to know why. I'm not going anywhere until one of you spills."

I watched as the expressions on Alice and Rosalie's faces changed from excitement to seriousness. "Bella," Alice began, "please, just trust us, just this once. We would never do anything to hurt you. We have, well, there is a surprise for you. We don't want you to be embarrassed. Could you please just put on these jeans and this blouse?" She handed me a pair of jeans and a pink and white blouse that she had found in my closet, along with a pair of sandals.

I was still suspicious, but since they had both calmed down, I nodded and started changing. Rosalie strolled over and looked out my bedroom window. I was totally clueless as to what was going on. After I changed, I looked at both of them and said, "Well? Is this better?"

Rosalie grabbed my arm, leading me out of the room and down the stairs and said, "Yeah, that's better. Trust me when I say you'll be happier with that."

We arrived in the living room to the sounds of Jasper and Emmett playing their stupid video games. Emmett was whooping and hollering and Jasper was quietly telling him to shut up. The two of them were hilarious together. Emmett was so boisterous and Jasper was so quiet and subdued.

A short amount of time passed and no one had mentioned going to breakfast, so again, I was suspicious. I drank coffee and chatted with the girls. Jas and Em continued to play games. Alice kept looking at her watch. When I thought I couldn't take any more, there was a knock at the door. Emmett reached up and shut off his game, Jasper looked over at the door, Rosalie froze, and Alice looked at me expectantly.

"Isn't anyone going to answer the door?" I said, thinking that it must be family; otherwise, we would have gotten a call from the guard at the gate wanting to know if whoever it was could come in.

"It's for you," Alice said softly.

Suddenly, the light went on in my head. It had to be Edward. That was why everyone had been acting strangely all morning. It was why Alice and Rosalie had made me change my clothes. Just as quickly as I realized all of that, I completely freaked out. My hands started shaking and my knees felt weak. As I stood and headed towards the door, I was afraid I was going to pass out cold on the floor. I tripped over my own feet and almost took a header onto the tile floor in the entryway. The doorbell rang and I tried desperately to compose myself as I reached for the handle.

I pulled the door open and stood there, with my mouth open I'm sure. I had known all along that I didn't deserve someone like him. I had lived with the realization that, in all probability, nothing would ever come of our friendship. When I was face to face with him, I was struck by how very handsome he really was. All of my feelings started gushing towards the surface as I took in his features. A beautiful crooked smile tipped one corner of his mouth, the light danced in his sparkling green eyes, and his messy bronze hair looked unkempt and perfect at the same time. He had a day's growth of facial hair that shadowed his face, his features were chiseled, and the platinum chain around his neck stood in stark contrast with his tanned skin. As I quickly scanned the rest of him, I noted his biceps bulging out of the sleeves of his tight fitting black t-shirt, his muscular chest and abs, and the casual tight fitting blue jeans he always wore.

"Edward!" I squeaked, then cleared my throat. "You're early!"

For the first time, I heard that velvet voice that had first caught my attention say, "Hi, Bella. I hope it's okay that I'm early."

Have I mentioned that I was a puddle on the floor? Because, yeah, it was surreal. I was just fucking amazed that he was standing there, on my doorstep, smiling at me, talking to me… I was in a daze of utter disbelief. The part of me that was EC Velvet's fan was freaking out and the part of me that loved Edward had butterflies in her stomach. I was afraid to open my mouth to speak because I didn't want to sound like a complete flake. I also didn't want to stand there looking like I was deaf, mute, and dumb.

"Of course it's okay! Please, come in!" I managed to get out as I reached my hand out. He took my hand in his and I marveled at his long fingers as he brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. His other hand held out a beautiful bouquet of daisies, lilies, and orchids. I took them from him and thanked him, smelling them while he spoke.

"I'm so glad to finally meet you, Bella. You have no idea. May I hug you?"

Fuck and me. Not only was he a wonderful, sensitive, kind man, who just happened to be a superstar, he was handsome, well built, and a gentleman to boot. Rather than answering him, I stepped into his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck, putting my face against his chest. His arms slid around my waist and pulled me in tight. His scent was breathtaking and I closed my eyes and enjoyed being near him. I whispered, "I'm really happy to meet you, too, Edward."

I could hear the voices of my friends in the living room and knew I needed to take him to meet them before they went all stalker on our asses. I looked up at him and found him staring down at me. I smiled and said, "Do you mind coming inside and meeting my friends?"

"Of course not," he said, releasing me. His hand caught mine and I smiled at him as I led him into the living room. All conversation stopped short and four pairs of eyes stared at us.

I pointed to each one of them as I introduced them. "Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, this is Edward Cullen, my friend from Chicago." Edward squeezed my hand and then released it, stepping forward to shake each of their hands. I watched him in amazement at the ease with which he spoke to each of them and acknowledged them as though he had known them forever. He thanked Alice for making the arrangements for him to come in early and then congratulated her and Jasper on their recent engagement. He commented to Rosalie on her car dealership and mentioned that he might have to take a side trip there to check out her cars and see if she could make him a deal. When he got to Emmett, he thanked him for disposing of Newton. None of them embarrassed me, and I was thankful for that. I had been worried that Emmett would embarrass the hell out of me, but he was abnormally well behaved, for Emmett.

"I gather that Bella is bringing you all to the show tonight?" he asked them when he was done greeting each of them. They all nodded and he said, "Great! A car will be around to pick you all up at seven. Will that work?"

"That sounds perfect!" Alice said in her excited sing-song voice.

Edward turned to me and asked if he could take me to breakfast. Not being one to turn him down, I agreed and we left. We walked out to the driveway and he opened the passenger door to a very non-descript passenger car. "It's a rental. I'm trying to be inconspicuous," he said with a chuckle.

We talked while Edward drove. He listened to the directions that the car's GPS gave him. "Rhianne got us reservations for brunch at Salty's. Does that sound okay, Bella?"

"Wow, that sounds awesome. Am I dressed okay?"

He glanced over at me and smiled that crooked smile again. "You're perfect, I mean that." His voice was sincere and his smile remained. We continued to talk like old friends who had not seen each other in years rather than two people who had just met. He was so comfortable and at ease with me, and I found that I felt the same way with him after I got over the initial shock of our meeting.

We arrived at Salty's, the Alki Beach location, and had a great table with a beautiful view of the city. The brunch buffet was fantastic. I went from buffet table to buffet table looking over all the choices before settling on a strawberry crepe, scrambled eggs with ham and green onions, hickory-smoked bacon, fresh fruit, and coffee.

After brunch, we went for a long walk on Alki Beach. Edward talked a lot about Abby and that she was going to be on tour with him along with her nanny, Mary. I asked him if that was a good idea.

"I honestly don't know, Bella. I mean, what's better? I leave her in Chicago at the mercy of her mother while I'm gone? I can't do that. I can't ask my parents to keep her the whole time I'm gone. I can't cancel the whole tour. I'm kind of stuck. I guess I'll just have to make it work."

I reached out and grabbed his arm to stop him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets and when I touched his arm, he pulled that hand out of his pocket and slid it down to grasp mine. I looked into his eyes and said, as sincerely as I felt it, "I'm sorry, Edward. I know this must be very difficult for you and I'm sorry you have to go through it. I know you're a good dad and you will protect her." His eyes softened immediately and glistened. He was on the verge of tears.

He reached for my other hand. We stood, staring into each other's eyes for a long moment, our hands intertwined, and a single teardrop rolled down Edward's cheek. I didn't know what to say or what to do. I had never, in my life, seen a man cry. The vulnerability it took for him to do that was overwhelming and feelings of love rushed through me like a tsunami washing over the coast. "Edward, I…" Not knowing what to say, I stopped. Our gaze continued and then he was moving closer to me. He released my hands and took my face in his, pulling me close to him. Before I knew it, his lips were on mine, soft, gentle, caressing. I wasn't shocked. I wasn't fearful. I found myself thrilled, excited, and I found myself kissing him back, fisting my hands in his hair, pressing my body against his. He deepened the kiss and I sighed against his mouth. There was an electricity between us that I had never felt before. The feeling coursed through me like fire in my veins. The memory of our fist kiss has been with me ever since, and the feeling has never changed. Edward and I knew then, as we know now, that we shared a special connection. One that couldn't be broken. Not by anything.

When we broke the kiss, we held each other tight for a few minutes. Neither of us spoke a word. We really didn't need to. With my eyes closed and my head nuzzled against Edward's chest, I listened to his heartbeat and his slow gentle breathing. It just felt so right to be there with him. I was wondering how he was feeling when he said, "I've never felt this way about another human being before."

I looked up at him and he gazed down at me. "This is going to be complicated, Bella."

I smiled. "Well, complicated keeps us on our toes and busy doesn't it?"

He smiled back. "Come on, babe. We've got to go."

He took me back to the house and kissed me goodbye. He told me the car would pick us up and that Rhianne would meet us when we got to the White River Amphitheatre. I stood on the front porch and watched him leave, waving as he went down the street. As soon as he was out of sight, the front door flew open and Alice and Rosalie descended on me instantaneously.

"You have to tell us EVERYTHING!"

"What happened?"

"Where did you go?"

"Was it awesome?"

"What's he like?"

"Did I just see him KISS you goodbye?"

"Oh my God, Bella!"

I smiled at them knowingly and brushed past them into the house. I went to my bedroom and flopped on my bed. I replayed the day in my head as Alice and Rosalie bounced on either side of me, still asking a thousand questions. I finally looked at each of them and simply said, "He's the one."

Squeals erupted from my two best friends and they finally left me alone with my thoughts to get ready for the concert. I showered and put on my new outfit. Rosalie helped me with my hair, but did as I asked and kept it simple. Soft curls falling over my shoulders. Alice helped with my makeup, and again, she kept it simple as I had asked. Emmett showed up, dressed in black jeans and a silk collarless button-down shirt. Jasper came out of the bedroom dressed in blue jeans and a white collarless dress shirt. As far as I was concerned, we all looked great. I just couldn't wait to get back to Edward.

As promised, the car picked us up at seven and drove us out to the amphitheatre. A pretty girl with short auburn hair, glasses, and a black business suit opened the door of the limo when we pulled up. She zeroed in on me and said, "Hi, Bella! I'm Rhianne, Edward's personal assistant. You'll all be with me for most of the evening but Edward does want to see you before he goes on, so let's get there quickly, okay?" She was very kind, but all business. We all piled out of the car and followed her in the backstage entrance. My friends were unusually quiet as we walked down the hallway underneath the stage.

Walking into Edward's dressing room was an experience in and of itself. Rhianne turned to me and said, "He's not here, but will be in just a few minutes. Make yourselves at home and help yourselves to anything you see in here that you would like, okay?"

I thanked her and she left us. As soon as the door closed, Emmett said, "Holy fucking shit, Bella! Look where you've brought us!" I laughed because he was like a kid in a candy shop, running from thing to thing. Jasper was excited, but more subdued, as usual. Alice was, well, Alice, and Rosalie was more amused by watching Emmett's excitement than she was in looking around. I took the scene in quietly.

There was a large clothing rack that held about twenty pair of jeans, all Levi 501 button-fly. It also held about twenty black t-shirts. There were also about twenty pair of white custom made Adidas', each with a pair of white socks neatly draped across them. I chuckled and looked around for underwear. I wasn't disappointed. Next to the clothing rack was a small table, the only thing on it, what I estimated to be about twenty pair, of black silk boxers.

My eyes moved on around the room and took in the table full of drinks. There was everything from a fully stocked bar to Pepsi. There were also numerous bottles of plain water along with several bottles of Italian Soda water. A lovely buffet table held large trays of fresh fruits and cheeses. Nothing at all seemed out of the ordinary. Most everything in the room, save for the soda and the liquor was healthy. My eyes fell on the six triangle shaped boxes of Toblerone chocolate and the box of brown sugar and cinnamon Pop Tarts. I chuckled. Well, there had to be something, right?

Jasper and Emmett helped themselves to a beer while Alice and Rosalie poured themselves a glass of wine. I opted for a bottle of water and sat down in a nice comfy chair to wait. As it turned out, I didn't have to wait long. The door flew open and Edward rushed in, lifting me off the chair and shouting, "Bella!"

**_End Note: Review, review, review, oh, and did I mention, review? This week's concert is, of course, in Seattle at the White River Amphitheatre. Although NO backstage passes are available for this show, there is a SPECIAL SECTION right in the front for reviewers and fans of this story! The password is "Infatuation." :)_**


	11. Velvet

**_A/N So, here we go with Bella meeting EC Velvet for the first time! Before we get started, I have a couple of housekeeping items to attend to._**

**_1. Lillie Cullen, My beta, My sister, My friend. Thank you._**

**_2. There IS an official playlist for this story that I will have posted on my profile in a couple of days. Until then, if you would like to see it, the link is posted on the thread for "The Letter" at Twilighted(dot)net. It is under the fic section, all human. 18 years of age and older only please. If you are not yet 18, I will get it up on my profile soon._**

**_3. Theme song for this chapter is Beautiful by Akon, featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall. Listen to it when Edward sings his "new song" during the show in the chapter._**

_**4. ****I have the great pleasure of announcing the debut of a new website that I have the honor of being part of. The Secret Twilight Garden is a group blog effort with myself, Lillie Cullen, Jilburfm, JustBiteMePlease, and Lead69. Come join us as we discuss fan fiction stories we consider to be the gold standard of fan fiction, the hidden treasures waiting to be explored, writing tips, interviews, you name it! You can even listen to playlists of each Garden contributor. This month Lillie Cullen's official "Lessons" playlist is on the main page. Come join in the fun! Right now you can read interviews of all the collaborators and find out lots of interesting things about all of us! The link is on my profile.**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight or Hip-Hop or Rap or Musical at all, except my well-loved piano that is gathering dust during my Twilight addiction. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_**Bella**_

I was a little shocked when Edward swung me around. He set me back on the floor and hugged me tight, grinning like crazy the whole time. He looked around at everyone else then and said, "Great! Everyone is making themselves at home! Enjoying yourselves?" as he walked over to the bar and opened a beer. He turned to me, "Hey, Bella, you want a beer?"

I smiled and said, "No, thank you. I'm good with water." He downed the beer. I was surprised by this, but realized that he was getting psyched up for the show and was probably closer to being in what he referred to as 'Velvet mode' than he was to being his regular self. I was nervous and wondered what was in store. He sat down in a big overstuffed chair with an ottoman and put his feet up.

"C'mere, Bella!" He waved me over and I walked over to him. Next thing I knew, he had pulled me down on his lap. He was well into his second beer and was talking jovially with all of us. He held me tightly while I sat there, and I found that I rather enjoyed it. He leaned over at one point and whispered in my ear, "You look ravishing tonight, love." I felt the blush creep into my cheeks when he said it, and when he kissed my neck after saying it, I flushed from head to toe.

After a while, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Edward called, and Rhianne entered with a smile.

"Are you ready for the rest of the guys, Edward?"

"Hop up, hon," he told me, so I did. He bounced out of the chair and told Rhianne to bring them on in. Shortly after that, another knock came at the door. He glanced over at me and said, "Now you get to meet my crew, babe." I giggled like a giddy schoolgirl. All of his little pet names for me were so cute and I liked seeing him happy and carefree like that. It was really different than the quiet and somber Edward I had encountered earlier in the day. Frankly, I was really liking them both.

The door opened and the five members of Edward's crew came in. He introduced them each to us and they each made the rounds shaking everyone's hands. "First is Curtis, you guys know him as Killa Money. This crazy guy here is Jon, but you all know him as JJ Ritzy because he thinks he has to have the best of everything. Over here is Brad, better known as Tenacious V, who is the heart of the singing in this group, the rest of us are the rappers, Brad is the singer. This one here is Ray, but you all know him as Manic E because he's a crazy dude. Last, but not least, my friend for years, is Chris, Brotha T." It was really amazing to meet each one of them and see how different they were in person than they were on television. I had thought maybe only Edward was the one who was different, but I found that they all were. It made me realize that probably everyone was that way and I found it easier to understand the differences in Edward.

All of us visited for a while and then Rhianne came in to tell them it was twenty minutes to stage time. Edward immediately became all business. "Rhianne, would you go ahead and escort Bella's friends backstage and show them where their seats are?" My four friends waved goodbye to me as they followed Rhianne out of the room. I knew that the show was already going with the opening act, but found that I much preferred being with Edward and seeing what he did to prepare for a show.

Edward and his 'crew' all stood in a circle. They started rap battling and it was really fun to watch. I sat back in a chair, drinking my water and watching. After a few minutes of battling, which Edward won, they all joined hands. Edward looked over to me and said, "Hey, Bella, come join us." I walked over to the circle and stood between Edward and Chris. They each grasped one of my hands and all the guys bowed their heads. I was surprised, but bowed my head as well. Brad led them in a really nice prayer, asking God to be with them on stage and assist them to perform up to the expectations of their fans. He also asked a blessing on me and my friends and I really appreciated that. At the end, he also asked for a blessing for Edward's and my new friendship. I blinked back the tears in my eyes as I chorused "Amen" with the rest of them. Edward squeezed my hand and I squeezed his back. A knock at the door and Rhianne's voice told us we had eight more minutes. The rest of the guys said goodbye and headed out. Edward hung back and turned to me.

He placed his finger under my chin to bring my face up to look into his. He was smiling and his smile danced around his eyes. I couldn't help but to smile back at him. "I know I'm… different… this evening than I was this morning, Bella. I appreciate your acceptance of that. Thank you for being here with me. This just might be my best show ever."

"Thank you for sharing this experience with me, Edward. I'm really enjoying it, and you aren't THAT much different."

He grinned and said, "Wanna bet?" His arms encircled me and his lips crashed into mine with a wanting that was completely different than the tender kiss we had shared after brunch. It made my knees weak and I slumped into his arms. He held me even tighter and deepened the kiss even more, until we were both panting and needing air. When I opened my eyes, I found my fingers tangled in his hair, his face just inches from mine with a broad smile, and our bodies pressed together as close as they could be. He pushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear, kissed me chastely one more time, and then stepped away, taking my hand. I followed him closely and found myself standing on the side of the stage where he was going to go on. I could hear the cheers of the crowd as EC Velvet was being announced. Rhianne was fitting his wireless mic on him. There was an electricity and excitement in the air that was really hard to describe and next thing I knew, I was standing next to Rhianne, watching EC Velvet, the man I was in love with, perform for his fans.

I'll never forget that first show. It was fucking amazing. I mean, you just never get to the point where you are tired of the crowd, seriously. They just create something amazing in the air and you feed off it. I found myself singing along with him many times, clapping my hands, my arms in the air when he yelled, "Put your hands in the air!" It was fuck-awesome and I was backstage. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like out there in the crowd. I still do it, to this day, every time I'm backstage at a concert. I get really excited and really worked up. It's no wonder Edward gets like that.

I was really fascinated at all the people behind the scenes that it took to put on a show like that and spent a lot of time watching them. There were people running every direction and Rhianne was talking on her headset almost the whole time. She had to leave a lot, but came to check on me frequently. She even brought me a chair, which I thought was nice, but I didn't use it much. I did notice that Edward had two rather large bodyguards that were very quiet, but always very close to him. The only place they had left him alone was in his dressing room. I wondered how annoying it was to have that whole entourage of people with you all the time. I was pondering that when I heard Edward say something that took me aback.

"Alright, folks, I'm going to do something a little different here. We're going to slow things down a little and take a break. I have some special guests tonight that I want to recognize."

I was pretty sure I had a stroke right then. My entire body was paralyzed with fear. If he asked me to go on stage, I didn't know if I could do it. I stared out at him, wondering what was happening.

"My five guests know who they are. Because I don't want to make their lives hell, I'm not going to name them, but this song, which has never been heard before, was written this afternoon for one of them."

I breathed a sigh of relief, but then found myself holding my breath again. _Song? New? Written this afternoon? What? _And then he was singing it, and it was for me, and I think I died just a little bit. By the time he was done, I was crying. They were happy tears, of course, but still. It had sections of singing that was beautiful and parts of it that were rap. Edward had a beautiful singing voice and could have been a singer if he had wanted to, but he didn't want to, he wanted to rap. I still tell him that all the time. He says Brad is the singer. Pfft. Whatever.

Several times during the show, Edward looked in my direction, or came over close to me. He was always smiling or winking at me and it made me feel quite special. By the time it was almost over, I was exhausted yet still exhilarated with adrenaline. Edward and the guys came off stage to prepare for their encore and Edward grabbed me by the hand, leading me back down to his dressing room.

"So, whaddya think, Bella?" His voice carried excitement that was infectious in it.

"I'm overwhelmed, Edward, it's wonderful." He smiled at me as he opened his dressing room door and let me go in first. "I thought you had to go back out?" I asked. I wasn't sure what he had in mind by bringing me back to the dressing room and was even more unsure when I turned to him and his shirt was off. Holy. Shit.

He winked at me and said, "I do have to go back out, but I'm too sweaty. I need fresh clothes," he gestured to the rack of clothes I had looked over earlier. I wasn't sure what I should be doing. Should I turn around? Should I keep watching? Should I walk over to the drink table and get a fresh bottle of water while carrying on a conversation of endless prattle? The only thing I knew for sure was that as gorgeous as Edward was WITH his shirt on had NOTHING on him shirtless! I stared at him stupidly, checking out his tattoos, until he yanked the button-fly of his 501's open in one swift movement. I blinked as he yanked them down and stepped out of them. It must have shown on my face because he laughed.

"Sorry, Bella. I'm used to changing in front of people. I don't have much modesty left. It's okay if you want to turn around, or watch, I don't care." He had the biggest grin on his face and I felt myself blushing from head to toe again. He walked over and grabbed a pair of the underwear off the stack and I felt my eyes widen as my brain finally kicked into gear and I turned to walk over to the drink table.

My mind was screaming at me. _What the fuck are you doing, Bella? You are in the same room with him naked and you're not even going to sneak a peek? What the hell is wrong with you? Okay, you respect him and all that, but seriously, he's NAKED! HE doesn't care if you sneak a peek! _The rational side of me countered my adrenaline-crazed fan-girl side. _Bella, this is NOT just a physical attraction. You don't NEED to see him naked right now. More than likely, you WILL be seeing him naked… soon. Remember, you fell in love with Edward, not Velvet. You have to remember who this is in here with you and that if you're looking, he's going to be self-conscious about it later. Just don't look. Pick up your water, open the bottle, take a drink, go get a piece of cheese or fruit and eat it. Do. Not. Look. _

I still chuckle every time I think of that night. I had gotten a good enough peek at his shirtless form to know that it was good. I had a really hard time standing there munching on grapes with my back to him as I recall. It seemed like hours to me, though I know it was only a minute or two, when he said, "Uh, you can look now, Bella."

I turned around way too quickly and lost my balance. It was a good thing that he was nearly right behind me and caught me before I did a face-plant on the floor of his dressing room. He helped me to stand while I stammered about how clumsy I was. The softest, kindest smile I had ever seen came over his face. "It's alright, Bella. You don't have to apologize to me. I think it's endearing." I didn't even have time to react when he grabbed my hand and said, "You might want to lose the shoes, we're going to have to run to get back up there in time."

I bent down and yanked my shoes off, he snatched my hand again and we were off, running down the hall, laughing like schoolchildren on a playground. When we reached the stage, he gave me a chaste kiss before running out onto the stage. He did three more songs after he went out and when he said, "Goodnight, Seattle, and thank you!" I nearly screamed myself.

He ran off the stage and put his arms around me, lifting me off the ground while I squealed. We turned around to find Rose, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper behind us, giving congratulations to all the guys on a great show as we all trooped back down to Edward's dressing room. More like Edward's party room. As soon as we hit the room, all the guys were at the bar immediately. Edward brought me a glass with a clear liquid in it on ice. "Here, babe, you need to try this. It's my Okhotnichya Vodka and I always try to drink it when I feel I have something to celebrate." He stopped for a moment, smiled, and continued, "And I definitely have things to celebrate tonight."

We clinked our glasses together and I swallowed the vodka, letting all of its flavors hit my tongue before allowing it to slide down my throat. It. Was. Amazing.

"Good, right?" Edward grinned.

I nodded and took another sip. It was the most interestingly flavored vodka I had ever had. I could taste ginger and cloves, a hint of lemon, coffee, and some other spice flavors that were blended so well that I couldn't quite make them out. It was also sweet, almost like it had a touch of sugar in it. Edward led me around the room while he talked excitedly with all of his crew. I noticed when Rhianne came in, the bodyguards were right outside the door.

I was smitten with Edward. I mean, the letters, emails, and phone calls had been enough for me to care about him a lot, but this was different. Seeing him in the flesh, the two sides of him, the sweet way he led me around with his hand on the small of my back. Just his touch set me on fire. He was so quiet and sensitive earlier and then he was so excited and talkative later. I didn't even mind that he was swearing… a lot. That was before the f-word had become a permanent part of my vocabulary like it is now. I didn't care. It was Edward. I was with him. I didn't care how crazy and silly he acted when he was performing. I didn't care how sullen and sad he was when he was away from the excitement of the stage. It just didn't matter.

I wasn't really sure how long we spent in the dressing room just visiting with everyone and drinking vodka. Emmett seemed to be having the time of his life talking with all the artists. Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper were really enjoying themselves as well. I, however, was ecstatic. Edward finally started to wind down a bit and sat back down in the large overstuffed chair, pulling me onto his lap again. I giggled as I fell into his arms. When I landed, his arms were around me and his face was just inches from mine. We stared into each other's eyes.

It's hard to explain the connection we felt. Of course, at the time, neither of us knew the other one was feeling it, but we have since talked about it many times. We each felt a pull towards the other one. Edward has said that he felt it even stronger when the adrenaline from a show was flowing. We both felt it when writing letters, emailing, and during telephone calls, but when we finally got together, it was almost overwhelming. It was a strong desire just to be together, in close proximity, and for me anyway, the more Edward touched me, the more I wanted him to touch me. It felt really insane to me at the time. Part of me was terrified because of what I had gone through with Mike. I wasn't sure I was ready to be in another relationship, but the minute I met Edward, I knew that it wasn't just any relationship, he was my soulmate.

Edward had been through a lot with Tanya, too. He had a little girl to think about and a booming career. All of the baggage that he came with was hard to swallow, but at the same time, it didn't matter somehow. Somewhere inside me I knew that there wasn't a single thing in Edward's past, present, or future that could scare me away because the connection I felt with him was bigger than any earthly thing could break.

As Edward and I sat there staring at each other my mind was reeling and my heart was soaring. His grip on me tightened and our lips met again. When his lips touched mine, I could feel it in my toes. I immediately found myself tightening my arms around him and pushing myself closer to him. I felt like I wanted to crawl inside him. I wanted to fix all the hurts that were on his heart and make him happy-go-lucky like he was as EC Velvet all the time. We were well into our kiss and even beyond, were making out, when Emmett's booming voice interrupted.

"Damn, Bella! I thought you were gonna play hard to get!" That was followed quickly by the sound of Rosalie smacking him. I giggled and blushed. Edward laughed aloud. We both turned to look at Emmett whose grin was infectious. We both grinned back.

"I am playing hard to get, Emmett. What makes you think I'm not?"

Emmett rolled his eyes and the whole room erupted with laughter. Edward and I quickly picked back up where we left off. After a couple of hours of everyone hanging out in Edward's dressing room, the party started breaking up. I found myself sad because I thought that I would probably not be seeing Edward anymore for a long time after that night. When the rest of the guys started making their way out, I caught Rosalie yawning. I knew that meant it was time for us to be going. Although, I was nervous about asking how we were to get home. Apparently, Edward had seen it too.

"Rhianne, why don't you call for the car so these guys can go home and get some sleep. They're not used to keeping the same hours I do."

Rosalie quickly thanked him and apologized for being a buzz kill. I wasn't sure if she was apologizing to me or to Edward, but it didn't matter. I knew it was going to come to an end sometime. I started to get up from Edward's lap when he stopped me. He looked at me quite seriously and said, "Bella, I don't want this night to end. Do you think that, if I'm a gentleman about it, we could stay together tonight and just talk, or even sleep, but be together?"

I studied his face carefully while I thought back on what Emmett had said at dinner a few nights earlier. He looked to be sincere and all traces of EC Velvet were gone from his demeanor. I mulled it over in my mind briefly, already knowing what my answer would be. I just didn't want to come across as too anxious. His eyes began to widen a bit as I thought over the options so I let him off the hook by saying, "I'd really like that, Edward. Would you like to come to my place or did you have something else in mind?"

"It's up to you, Bella. Whatever you feel most comfortable with. If you would rather go to your place, that's fine. If not, I have the Luxury Suite booked at The Sorrento Hotel. You tell me, love."

Love. There was that word again. He stunned me every time he called me that. I'm pretty sure the most endearing term that Newton ever used for me was "bitch," so obviously, I wasn't used to being called nice things like, "love."

I considered his request. I wasn't afraid of Edward, not in the least. I knew that he thought I would be after my experience with Newton and because of his Velvet persona, but I wasn't. However, I knew that I would feel safer at home with him. Jasper and Alice would be there. I needed some degree of comfort.

"Would you mind terribly if we went to the house? I'm sorry, I know that suite must have cost a bundle and…"

"Bella," he said, putting his finger on my lips, "stop. It's okay. I don't mind a bit. Besides, I don't think the paparazzi can get into your neighborhood and I'm pretty sure they are going to be on me since they missed me when I disappeared from the airport this morning. Your place it is!"

He stood and walked over to talk to Rhianne. They spoke in hushed voices for a few minutes while I gathered my purse and a bottle of water for the ride home. I thought for a second and then picked one up for Edward, too. I ate a few grapes and then Rhianne announced that the car was there so we walked out of the dressing room with her. The bodyguards were there and escorted us to the car, which I didn't understand until we walked outside and there were hundreds of screaming girls out there. Edward whispered, "Just don't pay any attention to them, babe, just put your head down and get in the car." I was thankful he was there holding my hand because I was just a little more than uncomfortable with all those screaming women. I did as he had advised, kept my head down and ducked in the car.

Once inside, he scooted close to me and put his arm around me to pull me even closer. I turned towards him and crossed my legs, letting the top one rest across his thigh. I wrapped my arms around him and laid my head against his chest and it felt so good to be held like that. The rest of the ride home was in companionable silence with Rose and Emmett nuzzling each other and Alice and Jasper holding hands and watching out the window.

**_End Note: Reviews are LOVE and VIP passes to EC Velvet shows! Next show will be in Portland, Oregon as soon as he tears himself away from Seattle. :) Hurry and sell out the shows ladies!_**


	12. Breathing

_**A/N I know that there are some fans of the story who would love to see me write some of Edward's raps. Unfortunately, I just don't feel comfortable doing that. Poetry and rhymes are just not my forte. I have decided that since I can't do it I would like to invite any readers who think they have the sauce to write an original rap for Edward to do it and PM it to me. If I get a good one, I'll include it in the story giving the writer full credit for it. Otherwise, any rapping you read Edward doing in the story is going to be lyrics that are "borrowed" from someone else or in the form of a "Theme song" as in the last chapter. Since the story is more about the love between Bella/Edward and how it evolved, I haven't even decided for sure that I will write any of Edward's lyrics into the story, but as I said, if I get some that are good, I will include them. **_

_**Now, in the last chapter I neglected to thank a person who helped me a lot in finding just the right song to USE as the theme song. LolaRose, you know who you are. Thanks BB. Loves you H&R.**_

_**Lillie ~ I heart you hard core BB. Thanks. **_

_**The theme song for this chapter is NOT a rap song. It's Breathing by Lifehouse. If you don't know it, go now and find it. It's awesome and sums up Edward's attitude in this chapter. Thank you so much to JustBiteMePlease for inadvertently finding that one for me. LOL**_

_**Eoin ~ Disco Inferno. Need I say more? **_

**_Please join me on The Secret Twilight Garden to read recommendations, articles, and all things fun about Twilight fanfiction. http: // www (dot) secret-twilight-garden (dot) blogspot (dot) com (take out the spaces and replace the (dot) with . ) This blogsite is a collaborative effort between Lillie Cullen, jilburfm, lead69, JustBiteMePlease, and myself. _**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight or Lifehouse. No copyright infringement is intended. Does anyone really read these and seriously, isn't it obvious?_

* * *

_I'm finding my way back to sanity again,  
__Though I don't really know what I'm going to do when I get there.  
__Take a breath and hold on tight,  
__Spin around one more time,  
__And gracefully fall back to the arms of Grace._

'_Cause I am hanging on every word you say and,  
__Even if you don't want to speak tonight that's alright,  
__Alright with me.  
_'_Cause I want nothing more than to sit outside Heaven's door and listen to you breathing,  
__Is where I want to be.  
__Yeah.  
__Where I want to be._

_I'm looking past the shadows in my mind into the truth and I'm  
__Trying to identify the voices in my head.  
__God which one's you?  
__Let me feel one more time what it feels like to feel alive,  
__And break these calluses off of me,  
__One more time._

_**

* * *

**__**Edward**_

We were pulling up to the gate outside the community Bella lived in. The guard let us through after Jasper poked his head through the window between the front and back of the limo and said hey to him. I leaned down and looked at Bella who was snuggled into my chest and holding me as though her life depended on her arms being around me. I put my cheek against the top of her head and inhaled the fresh strawberry scent that wafted from her hair. I kissed her head and whispered, "Bella, you're almost home."

She awoke with a start and her chocolate eyes peered up at me with confusion written all over her face.

"Bella?"

She shook her head and then a broad smile took over her features. "Sorry, I forgot where I was for a minute."

I looked at her lovingly. I was a broken man. I knew I was. But to see the beautiful creature before me so broken tore my heart apart. Since I had first laid eyes on her that morning, I knew that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I had known it before, but seeing her had cinched it for me. I would have given up everything I had just to be with her if she had asked me to. Well, everything except Abby, which was the one subject I had not broached with her yet. We had spoken briefly about Abby, but not in depth. I knew that at some point during our time together, I had to talk to her about Abby and see how she felt about that particular part of my life.

All I wanted to do right then was to fix Bella. I wanted to heal all the hurts she had endured. It was obvious that she suffered from a lack of self-confidence. I could only guess that it was her ex that had shattered that. I knew exactly how that felt. It was what had widened the gap between EC Velvet and Edward in me. Tanya had taken every bit of self-confidence I had and shredded it. The only thing that I was sure of when she was done with me was that Abby was the greatest accomplishment of my life. I had channeled any bit of self-confidence I had left into being a good dad and into being EC Velvet.

The car pulled up in front of the house and the chauffer popped the trunk before opening the door for us to get out. I walked around to the trunk and pulled out the bag that Rhianne always had for me in any car I went anywhere in. Sometimes, there were too many reporters or groupies at the hotels we were booked in and I had to make a quick getaway to someplace else. Bella raised her eyebrow at me so I explained quickly. She laughed.

"Well, okay, that sounds like a good enough excuse then."

She took my hand and led me into the house. We said goodnight to Rosalie and Emmett as they made their way next door to their house. When we walked in the front door of Alice, Jasper, and Bella's house, I suddenly found myself quite nervous. I felt… out of my league. Bella must have sensed my hesitation because she stopped and took my other hand in hers.

"Edward? Are you… uncomfortable… being here with me?"

My eyes welled up with tears. She was so observant of others and their needs. She was selfless and giving and everything I had never been or ever had in a friend. "No," I choked, "I'm not uncomfortable with being here with you. I don't think I could be uncomfortable being anywhere with you, Bella."

"C'mon. Let's go up to my room." She turned and walked up the stairs with me behind her. A tear spilled out of my eye and down my cheek, which I wiped away quickly with the back of the hand that was holding my bag.

When she flipped on the light, I immediately noted all the pictures I had sent her framed and hanging on the wall above her bed. My favorite picture of Abby and me was in a frame sitting on her bedside table.

She laughed nervously and said, "Well, this is it!"

I placed my bag on her bed and walked over. I picked up the picture and looked down at it. "This is one of my favorite pictures." I smiled at her when I placed it back on the bedside table. "Is it okay if I use your shower, Bella?"

She gave another nervous laugh, but said, "Sure! It's right here!" and opened the bathroom door that adjoined her bedroom. "Can I get you anything while you're in there? I mean, for after you come out?"

I slipped my hand through her hair and grasped the back of her neck, pulling her to me so I could kiss the top of her head. "No, babe. I'm fine. I won't be long, okay?"

I walked in the bathroom and closed the door. Bella's bathroom. In Bella's room. In Bella's house. I glanced around and my eyes fell on her strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner. After I turned on the water and stepped into the shower, I opened the shampoo and inhaled. It smelled like Bella. My eyes shifted towards my bag that carried my usual shampoo and I decided to forego that, squeezing her strawberry shampoo into my hand. A smirk crossed my face while I washed my hair with it. I was surrounded with the scent of Bella.

As I usually did when I was showering after a show, I went over the show in my head. Mostly though, I thought about Bella. She had been so accepting of me when I was hyped up. I had really been nervous about that. By the time she saw me before the concert, I was pretty well in Velvet mode. It was something I had to do consciously, like an actor playing a part. I had to get myself into a place where I could mentally pull off being Velvet on the stage. After all, what was it if it wasn't a stage with actors? Of course, once I got on the stage, all it took was the adrenaline rush from the crowd to maintain and heighten my Velvet persona. What nobody knew, including Rhianne, was that it was my special vodka that was my mental trigger to start calming down. I always drank some after a show, but usually not until after I had imbibed in some other 'adult beverages' first. It had been important to me to calm down quickly that night, so I hit it right away. It still took a great deal of time to get down from the high that I got from being on stage. It was a good damn thing that Bella was so cool and understanding about it all.

I pulled myself out of my reverie and finished my shower. I wrapped a towel around my waist and started to reach for the door. Fortunately, I stopped myself in time. It wouldn't do me any good to rush into her bedroom naked, wet, and with only a towel around my waist. She would get the wrong idea and I would be embarrassed. I dried off and opened my bag. Jeans. Black t-shirts. Sweats. Black tanks. I pulled on a pair of boxer briefs, sweats, and a tank. I hoped that Bella wouldn't mind my casual dress and almost changed, but I realized that I already knew she wouldn't care.

I walked into the bedroom to find Bella sitting on the bed with a glass of wine in one hand, a platter of cheese and fruit on the bed, sweats and a tank top on, and a smile on her face. She patted the bed next to her and handed me a glass of wine when I sat down.

"Is this okay?"

"It looks great, Bella, thanks!"

There was no awkwardness between us as we sat there silently munching on fruit and cheese, drinking wine, and reflecting on the day. When we had our fill, Bella sat the tray on her desk. "Are you tired? You can sleep if you need to."

"I'm tired, but I don't want to sleep right now," I said, turning towards her. "I want to know all things 'Bella' right now."

She smiled and we began to talk. It was already late but by the time we were finally starting to fade, it was approaching five in the morning. She had talked freely to me about her life, her mother, her father, her friends, and her ex's. The one I was most interested in hearing about was Mike Newton. That one was a real piece of work. I kept shaking my head as she told me of his transgressions against her.

"Do you think he'll bother you again?"

"Honestly I don't know. I try not to worry about it, but it's always there in the back of my mind. I'm not even sure he's still in town, but I doubt that he's gone anywhere."

"I would never let him hurt you, Bella. You know that, right?"

Her eyes showed a sadness in them as she smiled at me. "I know, Edward."

I leaned against the headboard of the bed and gathered her into my arms. She put her head against my chest and sighed. As I stroked her hair I thought about how nice it would be to sit with her like that forever. I longed to never have to leave. Every time I thought about leaving for the rest of my tour that would go on for several months, my chest got tight. Although I would have Abby with me, it just wasn't enough. I felt a strong need to have Bella by my side in all things. My thoughts were lost to how I was going to manage a healthy relationship with her when I heard her breathing change and I realized she was falling asleep.

"Bella, why don't you lay down. You're tired."

"Mmmm, okay…" she said sleepily. She scooted down and I pulled the covers up and around her.

"Where do you want me to sleep?" I whispered. I wanted to assume nothing. If she had someplace she wanted me to be, I wanted to go there.

"Here," she said softly, patting the bed next to her.

My heart soared as I slid between the sheets and scooted next to her. As soon as I was there, she closed any gap that had been between us and nestled her head on my shoulder, throwing her arm across my chest. I wrapped my arm around her and held her tightly as we both drifted off to sleep.

I awoke a couple of hours later to the sound of Bella's voice calling my name. I looked over at her thinking she was awake, but realized quickly that she wasn't. She had rolled over and her back was to me, but her body was pressed firmly against mine. I rolled to my side and put my arm around her. She was dreaming. About me. I felt a smile creep across my lips when she called my name in her sleep again. I was just about to slip back into unconsciousness when Bella's phone rang shrilly. She jumped and looked around, shaking her head. She grabbed the phone off the bedside table and answered without looking at it. I watched as her face dropped.

"How did you get this number?"

I sat straight up. _Oh God, here we go. It's starting already._

"That's none of your business!"

"Just hang up on them, Bella. I'll get you a new phone number."

She looked over at me and shook her head once, her brow furrowed. "I really don't give a fuck what you think, Mike. You're supposed to be leaving me the hell alone, remember?"

_Mike? Newton?_ _What the…? _A light went off in my head and I flew out of the bed grabbing my cell phone and running out the door and down the stairs. Alice was standing in the kitchen rubbing her eyes while she made coffee. She looked at me and blinked.

"Do you get the paper, Alice?"

She nodded as she started to say, "Yeah, but I haven't…"

I didn't stay around to find out. I streaked through the house, out the front door, and down the driveway to grab the paper. I hit speed dial number two on my phone and when Rhianne answered I was already back in the house. I was taking the stairs two at a time while I rapidly thumbed through the pages of the paper. When I arrived back in Bella's room, she was sitting on the bed crying.

"Damage control, Rhianne. Have you seen the paper yet?" I asked, my hands shaking while I held the Entertainment section that had a very large and very clear picture of Bella and me getting into the limo after the show the night before. I sat down next to Bella and she threw her arms around me. I dropped the paper on the floor and hugged her to me. I had known something like this would happen. Rhianne promised to keep my whereabouts secret and to do damage control. I hung up, tossed the phone, and hugged Bella with both arms.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have…"

"I don't care about the picture in the paper," she sobbed. "Please don't apologize. The last 24 hours have been the best in my life. I don't want it to end."

I held her away from me and tipped her chin so she was looking at me. It was an impulse, not well thought out when I said, "It doesn't have to end. Come with me."

As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I didn't want her to feel obligated. I didn't want her to feel rushed. I didn't want so many things, but I did want her with me.

"Where?" she asked with wide eyes.

"On the tour. Come with me. I can… You don't have to, Bella. Please understand. I just… I'd like to have you near me. Every time I think about the next few months of being on tour and only being able to email you or talk to you on the phone, a hole opens up in my chest and threatens to swallow me. I can't explain it. I'm not sure I want to. All I know is that my desire to have you with me overrides all rational thought that I have and… I know it sounds crazy."

"You… you want _me_ to go with you on tour?"

I could see in her eyes that her brain was going crazy so I decided to change the subject for a while. I had until Monday before I had to leave for Portland. We could talk about the tour later. Much later. "Let's go get some coffee and you can tell me what the jerk wanted."

Alice had her laptop in the kitchen and appeared to be working. Bella quickly got us both a cup of coffee and we sat down at the table to look at the paper. Other than the picture of us getting in the limo, there was a picture of me on stage and an article. We read the article together and I was pleased that it was complimentary. The only thing that irritated me was the last few lines. Clearly, I hadn't thought things through when I went in the same car as Bella the night before. I had wanted to protect her from the media speculation so soon. It meant that it wouldn't be long before she had paparazzi sneaking in her community and hiding in her bushes to take candid snapshots of my current 'love interest.'

_EC Velvet was seen leaving his show Saturday night with a mystery woman, presumably the one that his new song was written for. Surprise has rippled through both the media and the fan community overnight as to who the mystery woman is. Velvet disappeared overnight, not checking in to the Sorrento Hotel as was expected, although his entourage did check in there. Speculation is running rampant about one of the most famous rappers of all time being in love with a Seattle woman._

Bella looked up at me with a mischievous grin. "So, are you?"

Alice got up and walked over to the table, sitting down across from us and giving me her own knowing smile. I wasn't sure what I should say. Was it love? Of course. Was it the right time to tell her? I didn't know. Would it freak her out if I told her? Probably. Did she feel the same way? I hoped so.

"You don't have to say if you don't want to, Edward. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm just trying to decide how best to put it."

A light flickered in her eyes that told me what she was hoping to hear. It gave me the strength to say what I needed to say. "I am. Okay? You got me. That's the big secret. I'm head over heels in love with you and I don't want to live another second of my pitiful life without you." I put it all out there. I laid all my cards on the table. I exposed my queen and waited for Bella to checkmate me.

Alice squealed.

Bella's jaw dropped open.

I waited silently for her to compose herself enough to speak. For one fleeting millisecond I was afraid that I had read her wrong, but that faded with the smile that lit her face. I felt a half-smile curl one corner of my lip as she composed herself and started to speak.

"I do, too. I mean… I'm… I," she bit her lip and glanced at Alice who was bouncing up and down in her chair.

"I'm in love with you, too, Edward. I just didn't think that… well, that you would be interested in someone like me in that way."

My brow furrowed. "In that way?"

Rather than answering me, she threw her arms around me and kissed me. "Forget I said that. It's just a little seed that Emmett planted in my brain and I let it grow. It was before we met and…"

"I think I know where you're going with this and I hope you realize that it's not the case. I have no desire to use you. I respect you far more than that and my feelings for you are genuine."

"I know," she said happily.

I realized that Alice was still bouncing around the room. "Don't mind her, she gets a little… excited."

I chuckled. Excited was an understatement. "I want some of what she's on," I said, nodding my head towards Alice. Bella laughed.

"I'll have you know I'm not on anything. This is just the way I am. Like it or lump it." Alice bounded up the stairs and we heard her sing-song voice saying, "Jazzy? Are you awake yet? Bella and Edward love each other! Isn't that GREAT!"

Bella and I rolled our eyes, shook our heads, and laughed both at the same time. I felt so free and so happy. I felt a weight lifted off me that had been there for so long.

Rosalie and Emmett were at the house before long and before I knew it, I was in the midst of a Wii bowling tournament with Emmett and Jasper. I was so relaxed and comfortable. They felt like the brothers I never had. Bella, Rosalie, and Alice fixed an awesome lunch of homemade pasta noodles with a cold tomato and lemon sauce along with some Italian sausage and Italian bread.

After lunch, I asked Bella if we could go to her room for a few minutes. When we arrived there, she turned to me. "What's up?"

"I wanted to call Abby."

"Cool!"

I dialed my parents' number and waited. Carlisle answered the phone.

"Hey, Dad."

"Edward. I gather you're still in Seattle?"

I wondered why his voice sounded so stern as I answered, "Yeah, I'm here until tomorrow. What's wrong?"

"Have you seen the Chicago Tribune this morning?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "No. Why?"

"Are you really shacked up with some 'mystery woman' in Seattle? You know that's not going to help your custody battle, Edward. I warned you to be careful what you were doing on this tour. I don't know what you were thinking."

"Dad, I'm not 'shacked up' with some 'mystery woman.' It's Bella. You've heard me talk about her, I'm sure. Just chill. It's all speculation. Nobody knows what's going on yet. How many times do I have to remind you not to believe everything you read about me?"

"I just don't want you ruining your chances of keeping Abigail, Edward. You need to proceed with caution."

"Thanks, Dad. Can I please talk to Abigail now?"

He didn't answer me but I heard the phone shuffling around. I smiled at Bella and put the phone on speaker.

"Hellllooooo?" said Abigail's sweet voice on the other end of the line. Bella's smile told the story. She was as hooked as I was.

"Hi, baby! What're you doin' today?"

"Playin'. Are you comin' home today?"

I chuckled. "No, baby, but you're comin' to see me tomorrow, okay? You and Mary are gonna travel with me a while. How does that sound?"

"Yay! Mary, Mary, Daddy says we're gonna go with him!" I heard the phone drop and the sounds of Abby's feet running away, her laughter was like a drug to me.

"Hi, Edward, it's Mary. Obviously, she's excited."

"I could tell! Did you get your itinerary yet?"

"Yes, I got it this morning via email from Rhianne. We're not flying commercial?"

"Not this time. I told Rhianne to have the private jet pick you up. I don't want any reporters bothering either of you."

"Okay, sounds great."

"Have you heard from the attorney yet? Did Tanya sign the paper so I can take Abby out of the country?" Abby had a passport as she had been out of the country before, but I had to have a signed affidavit from Tanya giving me permission to take her out of the country. It was required legally, but with Tanya's history, it was also a good idea to have it so she couldn't accuse me of kidnapping my daughter.

"I haven't heard anything yet, but we have time don't we?"

"Yeah, there's time. I'm just afraid she's not gonna sign it and I'm gonna have to come up with Plan B."

"Don't worry about it right now, Edward. How did meeting Bella go?"

Bella, who was still listening in on the speaker, blushed. "She's right here. It's been great. Thanks for asking." I smiled at Bella and she smiled back although her cheeks were still pink.

"Uh oh, here comes Miss Abigail again. I'll talk to you later, Edward."

"Daddy! I come to see you!" Abigail yelled before she was off and running again. I loved hearing her so happy.

Esme came on the line and talked to me briefly before I hung up. I looked over to Bella and said, "Well? What do you think of my baby-girl?"

"She sounds precious, Edward. I can't wait to meet her." My heart soared. Another obstacle for me had melted away without my even trying.

We each showered, we took a nap, we had Chinese take-out for supper, we played Wii with Bella's friends, and before I wanted it to be, the day was gone. After saying goodnight to Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice, Bella and I went into her bedroom. We laid in the bed facing each other and talked. I hung on to her every word and she seemed to hang on to mine. I still didn't know whether she would agree to go with me, so I feared this would be the last time we would get to spend together for a long while.

As we talked, I found that we were inching closer together by the minute. When our noses were nearly touching, we both stopped talking and spent some time just looking at each other. Taking in each other's features. Studying each other. As though pulled together by an invisible force, our lips suddenly melted together in a passionate kiss. It was like no other kiss I had ever felt. The feeling started at my lips, swirled around my brain, electrified my body, and gave me a rush that I felt all the way to my toes.

Our arms found their way around one another and I pulled her on top of me, never taking my lips away from hers. Her body settled atop mine and her legs stretched to lie between my legs. I was acutely aware of everywhere my body and hers touched. Our kisses became urgent and full of longing and we both began to explore kissing areas other than the other's lips. When my tongue found the hollow just behind Bella's ear, her entire body thrust against mine and seemed to melt into me.

It was too fast. Too quick. I wanted her so badly and could tell that she wanted me as well, but I was determined to do this right. I rested my hands on the small of her back and kissed her nose as I pulled back. We were both panting. Her fingers in my hair felt like Heaven.

"I'm sorry. I don't… no… it isn't that I don't, it's that I shouldn't…"

"Shhh, it's okay, Edward. I know. You're right. It's just hard…"

"Not to," I finished her sentence with a smile.

Bella smiled and kissed me lightly before we snuggled in together and slept. If there was anything that I was certain of in that moment between sleep and wakefulness, it was that the love of my life laid in my arms and I would do anything to keep it that way. She was everything I had ever wanted and more. Every breath she took was my reason for existing.

**_END NOTE: OK, I know, EC hasn't made it to Portland yet, but he will, next chapter. After Portland is San Francisco so all you California fans get ready! Remember, reviews are LOVE and VIP Passes!_**


	13. Mockingbird

**_A/N Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews, PMs, favorite adds, alerts... Everyone is AWESOME! I'm slow about responding, but I'm getting there. :)_**

**_Lillie Cullen rocks my sox and is the best beta and friend a girl could ever ask for!_**

**_Please visit the Secret Twilight Garden Blog for awesome story recs and fanfic informational articles, playlists, and fun. The link is on my profile._**

**_Theme song for the chapter is Mockingbird by Eminem. _**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I don't own Eminem. Any questions?_

_**Bella**_

I was lost in a wonderful dream about Edward when my phone rang early that Sunday morning. When I awoke, I was disoriented. First of all, I was fully dressed in my sweats and tank top, which I didn't normally wear to bed. Secondly, there was someone else in bed with me, which hadn't happened in a long time. Thirdly, I was terrified that the night before had all been a dream.

I snatched the phone up and answered it without thinking. My stomach hit my throat as soon as I heard the voice on the other end.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Bella?"

"How did you get this number?"

"How I got the number is not nearly as important as how you think I would let this new romance of yours go by unnoticed."

"That's none of your business!"

I vaguely heard Edward's voice telling me to hang up on them. He thought it was the press. Little did he know at that point who it was. In the meantime, Mike was still busy yelling at me.

"You know, Bella, we were just taking some time off from each other, and now I find out you're cheating on me with that fucking rap star? And I have to read it in the God damn newspaper? He probably gave you a STD, Bella! You realize that, don't you? All those mother-fuckers have Chlamydia!"

"I really don't give a fuck what you think, Mike. You're supposed to be leaving me the hell alone, remember?" I heard Edward's feet hit the floor and run out of the room. _Where is he going? Oh my God, Mike's stupid ass has scared him away!_

"Bella, I never told you we were over. I never ended it. You really need to rethink this and get your ass back home."

"I'm never coming back to you! I don't care if you ended it or not… I DID!"

"You can't end it, Bella. You don't have my permission to end it. You know the deal, baby. If I can't have you…"

"STOP! I don't know who you think you are, but I don't love you anymore. In fact, I'm not sure that I ever did. I'm SO over you, Mike. Why don't you just hop back in the sack with Jessica and have a nice life. I don't love you, I don't want you… in fact… I don't even want you in my UNIVERSE so STAY THE FUCK OUT!"

"You don't know what you're saying. Did he drug you? Is he there right now? Let me talk to him."

"No."

"Bella…"

"No, Mike. You don't control me anymore." I was listening to him spout another string of profanities about how I belonged to him and he'd never allow me to run off with that 'rapper' and I don't know what else when I looked up at Jasper standing in front of me with his hand out. I handed him the phone and buried my face in my pillow. _What am I going to do if this was enough to make Edward not want to be with me? I can't breathe without him…_

Jasper's voice was calm yet firm when he put the phone to his ear. "Mike, this is Jasper. Do you remember the last conversation I had with you?... That's right, Mike. I did tell you that I had friends who could visit you and that you'd never be heard from again. Do you think that anything's changed? Do you honestly believe that I'm going to continue to allow you to upset Bella like this? She's worked hard over the last few months to get over you. She's had to do a lot of self-esteem building to be able to look herself in the eye every day in the mirror. I only hope, for your sake, that your little stunt this morning hasn't undone all of her hard work. You'd do yourself well to just disappear, Mike. Maybe you should move to south Florida or something. Somewhere far away... You're talking again. Don't you ever learn? I'm not playing games with you. If you call her again, try to see her again, appear in her life in any capacity again, you're not going to like the outcome. I promise that you'll regret it. Now, be a good boy and hang up, forget this number, and never contact her again."

My eyes were wide when Jasper handed the phone back to me. He pulled me off the bed and hugged me, whispering, "Bella, your friends all love you, okay? Nothing's going to happen to you and Mike's not going to be bothering you anymore. If he does, I expect to hear about it immediately."

I didn't know what to say so I just nodded into Jasper's shoulder and whispered, "Thank you." I really had no clue what Jasper had been talking about on the phone, but I wasn't sure I was supposed to know. Rosalie had always suspected that Jasper was somehow 'connected' but it wasn't something that we discussed with Alice. She loved Jasper and didn't care so we had decided long before that it was none of our business. Jasper released me from his hug and headed down the hall towards his bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. I marveled at him. He and Alice were such polar opposites. It was truly amazing.

I collapsed on the side of the bed in tears. How the hell Mike had gotten my number was a mystery, but the fact that he'd called and tried to ruin my time with Edward made me so angry. I heard Edward running back up the stairs and heard him talking to Rhianne on the phone. I looked up and noticed he was holding the newspaper with shaking hands. There was a large photograph of Edward and me climbing into the limo the night before on the Entertainment page. Edward sat down next to me so I did the first thing that came into my mind. I threw my arms around him. I wanted to hold him close to me forever. I was so relieved that he was still there and I never wanted to let him go. He dropped the newspaper and ended his conversation with Rhianne. I pushed my head into his chest and held him as tightly as I could. When his arms encircled me, I felt my body relax into his touch.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have…" One thing I didn't want was Edward feeling as though he needed to apologize to me. I knew that his life was a public one. I didn't care. I loved him.

"I don't care about the picture in the paper. Please don't apologize. The last 24 hours have been the best in my life. I don't want it to end."

He held me away from him and used his finger to tip my tear-streaked face up to look at him. It was a gesture that I would grow to love more and more over the years. His eyes held a strange light and then he suddenly blurted out, "It doesn't have to end. Come with me."

The light in his eyes changed as soon as he said it and I got the impression that he regretted saying it. I was confused. My mind was reeling and I wasn't really sure what he was asking me. It must have shown on my face when I asked, "Where?"

He started to speak, but hesitated slightly. "On the tour. Come with me. I can… You don't have to, Bella. Please understand. I just… I'd like to have you near me. Every time I think about the next few months of being on tour and only being able to email you or talk to you on the phone, a hole opens up in my chest and threatens to swallow me. I can't explain it. I'm not sure I want to. All I know is that my desire to have you with me overrides all rational thought that I have and… I know it sounds crazy."

I stuttered when I responded to him. He thought he sounded crazy. I thought he sounded like an angel sent from Heaven to rescue me from myself. I was still in a state of utter disbelief that the whole thing was happening. "You… you want _me _to go with you on tour?"

My mind continued to reel with the possibilities. I wasn't really sure that he meant it. I mean, I knew he meant it, but was he just saying it because I was upset? Could I even hope that he loved me as desperately as I loved him? Was there a remote chance that he felt the same pull towards me that I felt towards him? It was unexplainable. It was as though he was a part of me that had been missing forever. I felt complete with him next to me. Just having him in the next room made me feel empty and alone. All of my delusions about EC Velvet were gone in the moment that I met him. He was Edward. He was the beautiful, wonderful man that I had been corresponding with for weeks on end. He was insecure, unselfish, sweet, funny, talented, and beautiful. And I wanted to be with him, at any cost, forever.

The rest of that Sunday passed far too quickly for my taste. It was a wonderful day and we had a great time just hanging out together. The best moment of the day was when we both admitted that we were in love with each other. My heart soared when I realized that he really did feel the same way about me as I did about him. I still didn't think it was possible, but I felt fulfilled just the same. Alice was hysterical when she bounced up to her bedroom to announce to Jasper that "Bella and Edward love each other! Isn't that GREAT!" I could have died.

Edward blended in with my friends so well. Jasper, Emmett, and he seemed like they were not only friends, but brothers. They all hit it off famously and I was so thrilled. I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing in my life had ever been as perfect as it was with Edward around.

After lunch, Edward had taken me up to my room so he could call Abby. One of the most wonderful things about Edward was the way his demeanor changed when he talked to his little girl. It only served to make me love him more. I never even thought about how difficult it might be to step in and help someone raise their child. All I knew was that I wanted to see Edward like that every day. It was obvious that Abby was the apple of his eye and I longed to meet her and see him with her.

That night, we had snuggled into bed together and talked. The sexual tension in the air had been obvious. We both wanted each other. Badly. Fortunately, we both had enough desire to do the relationship right that we waited. His kisses were scintillating and I could feel them all the way to my toes. My body burned with desire for him and my heart burned with love for him. Everything just felt so perfect with us together in each other's arms.

Monday morning came way too soon. I knew that he would have to leave for Portland and I would have to make a decision about whether to go with him or not. He hadn't brought it up again and I didn't know if I should. I wanted to go, so much. I couldn't bear the thought of him being away from me for months, but I also couldn't see myself just leaving everything I had ever known behind to walk out into the unknown and risk being hurt. It was just so unlike me.

We awoke early and he got in the shower while I rushed downstairs to fix him some breakfast. I giggled when he arrived in the kitchen smelling, once again, like my strawberry shampoo.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I intended to go get some of Jasper's shampoo so you wouldn't have to smell like a strawberry field."

He grinned at me with a crooked grin that melted my heart. "I have my own, Bella. I just like smelling like you."

I laughed. Aloud. For a long time. "What will the other guys say?"

He shrugged and laughed with me. "Probably that I'm toast."

We ate breakfast in companionable silence, but the pink elephant in the corner was staring at both of us. There was tension in the air about Edward's eminent departure. Alice and Jasper had both left early so we were alone at the house. When breakfast was finished, he helped me clean up and once the dishes were all in the dishwasher, he grabbed me around the waist and spun me around to kiss me. His kiss was soft and sweet and while he nibbled on my lower lip, the tears started to fall.

"No, no, no, Bella. Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry. I just…"

"I know, me either. Please consider coming with me? Even just for a short trip. Even just to Portland tonight. Bella, please?"

His green eyes were pleading with me. I wasn't sure what to say. How could I say no? How could I say yes? How could I not say yes?

"To Portland and then we'll see what happens after that, okay?"

He hugged me so tightly that he picked me up off the ground. "Absolutely, Bella. We'll play it by ear, right?"

"Right."

I called Alice to tell her where I was going and she was not at all surprised. Sometimes it was as if she could see the future or something. She just always seemed to know what was best. I packed a bag, not too much. Edward was busy making phone calls while I showered and got ready to go. When I appeared in jeans and a blue and white blouse, Edward swept me up and kissed my forehead. "You look perfect, babe."

He didn't have a car there and I wasn't sure what the plan was to get to Portland. I was slightly embarrassed to take him in my beat up Toyota, but I offered.

"I have a better idea," he said with a grin. We left in the Toyota and went to Rose's dealership. I wasn't sure what he had in mind, but when he walked out with the title to a brand new F430 Spider in metallic Blu Abu Dabbi with a charcoal interior, I kind of freaked out.

"Edward? Ummmm…"

"First rule of Edward Cullen. I collect cars. Second rule of Edward Cullen. Don't argue with me when I spend money on you. Third rule of Edward Cullen. Get in, put your seatbelt on, and hold on to your ass."

I stared at him in confusion for a split second before I climbed into the car. _What does he mean about spending money on me?_ I wondered as I fastened my seatbelt.

Rose watched as we tore out of the parking lot with a smirk on her face. I was terrified. "How fast does this thing go?"

"Wanna see?"

"NO!"

He laughed and went faster. I don't know how he didn't get a ticket driving from Seattle to Portland, but he managed to make it without. Once I realized that his driving skills were better than average, I relaxed, but only slightly. He made the two hour and fifty minute trip in about two hours. I managed to not look at the speedometer. Instead, I watched the muscles in his arm ripple when he shifted. I watched the contours of his body as he alternately relaxed and tensed in response to the traffic. I watched the set of his jaw change each time he glanced at me and smiled.

We pulled in to The Amphitheater at Clark County in Ridgefield by two in the afternoon. The tour bus was parked there and Rhianne walked out of it to meet us as we drove up.

"Nothing like showing off, is there, Edward?" she said with a chuckle.

"It's for Bella," he said, climbing out of the car.

I stared at him. _Is that what he meant when he said not to argue with him when he spent money on me?_ "I don't… I can't… it's not for me, Rhianne. I could never handle a…"

Edward glanced at me and cut me off by saying, "Don't you remember Rule Number Two, Bella?"

I shook my head and laughed. I knew I wasn't going to win that one. I decided to negotiate that later. I figured it would be easier to convince him later on that I wouldn't be able to handle that car. Besides, I didn't need a car. I had my Toyota… didn't I? I remember the smirk on Rosalie's face when we had driven away in the car and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I had a new text message from Rose. It read: _Enjoy your new car, Bella. See you when you get home._

Edward chuckled in my ear and kissed my neck as he put his arm around me and led me into the tour bus. From the outside, it looked like just about any other bus. On the inside, however, it was a different story. I was in shock as we stepped up into the bus and it was like walking into a luxury apartment. There were large flat screen televisions, big leather couches, a galley, two bathrooms, complete with showers, nine bunks with curtains that closed for privacy, and in the back was Edward's room. His room had a queen size bed, a closet, a big flat screen television, DVD player, his own satellite television control and a private shower and toilet area. The whole thing was decorated beautifully and I was completely amazed. Edward took my small bag and placed it on what looked like a dresser built into the wall of the bus.

"What do you think of my home away from home, Bella?"

"It's great. I never dreamed they even built such things!"

The most amazing part of it was, there wasn't just one bus, there were two. Edward explained to me how they split the busses up so that everyone would have a little more room. Since he was the star, he got the biggest bus with the most amenities. They had all voted and allowed Rhianne to have to bedroom in the other bus because she worked so hard to keep them all in line. The rest of the guys and the bodyguards took the other bunks and there was room in Edward's bus for Mary and Abby to each have a bunk right outside his bedroom. He said that he thought he might just let them have his room though, depending on what happened.

After our tour of the bus, Rhianne stepped in to let us know that we were going to be having company in about twenty minutes. Edward's eyes lit up and I knew that meant it was almost time for Abby to arrive. I was excited, yet afraid to meet her. What would she think of seeing her daddy with someone other than her mom? It must have shown on my face because Edward took my hand and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, Bella. She'll love you. She's four. It's really not going to freak her out very much and she's heard me talk about you."

It wasn't much longer before the limo pulled up next to the bus. Edward and I stood, hand in hand, waiting for it to stop. As soon as it did, the back door opened and the most beautiful little girl piled out of the back. She had long curly hair that was lighter than Edward's bronze, but not quite blonde. Her eyes were the same shade of green as Edward's and her little lips were obviously her daddy's.

"DADDY!" she screamed as she ran to him with her arms out. I released Edward's hand just in time for him to catch her, pick her up, and swing her around. Both of their laughter rang through the air and I couldn't help but laugh too.

A lovely middle-aged woman with short dark hair climbed out and walked over to me with a pleasant smile on her face. "Hi! I'm Mary, the nanny. You must be Bella," she said, putting her hand out to shake mine.

"Um, yeah. I'm Bella. Nice to meet you."

"You, too. She kinda likes her dad, don't you think?"

We looked over at Abby and Edward who seemed to be in their own little world speaking their own little language. Finally, Edward turned to me with Abby in his arms and said, "Abby, there's somebody I want you to meet."

Abby pointed at me and looked up at her daddy. "Is that Bella, Daddy?"

Edward nodded and smiled. "Yes, baby, that's Bella."

Abby immediately started fighting Edward's arms. "Put me down, Daddy!"

Edward put her down and looked at me with a grin as Abby ran over to me. She put her arms out for a hug and I reached out to hug her back. She jumped into my arms, surprising me. I caught her and her little arms encircled my neck, squeezing tightly. "I like you. You're pretty."

She was about the most beautiful child with the most beautiful personality of anyone I had ever met. I squeezed her too and whispered, "I'm not as pretty as you, Abby. You're beautiful."

She giggled and leaned back to look at me. She put her hand on my cheek and her little face took on a very serious look. Her eyes bore into mine for a brief moment and then she said, "I'm glad my daddy loves you, Bella." And just like that, we were a family. She struggled and I put her down. She ran to the car to get something out and Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"I told you she'd like you," he whispered.

From that second on for the rest of the day, things were never awkward or out of place. Edward, Abby, and I spent the rest of the afternoon together. We played games, we took a walk, we had supper, and we watched "Dora the Explorer" together. One thing that struck me about Abby was that she was incredibly intelligent for her age and she seemed to be quite well adjusted emotionally for all the garbage she had been through with her mother. The only down part of the day was when her mother called Edward. Abby, Edward, and I had been laying on his bed watching Dora when she called his cell phone. He got up and stepped out of the room, but I could still hear him when his voice rose. I turned up the television a little bit so that I could try to keep Abby from hearing, but fortunately, Edward went outside.

"Do you like Dora?" Abby asked, not taking her eyes off the big television screen.

"Yes, I like Dora. My friend Emmett likes to watch Dora sometimes so he can learn some Spanish words."

She looked over at me questioningly and said, "Who's Emmett?"

I pondered how much to tell her and decided not to hold back. "Emmett is my very good friend who is the boyfriend of my best friend Rosalie. They live next door to my other friends Alice and Jasper who I stay with."

"Oh!" she exclaimed happily, and went back to watching the show. Apparently that was all she needed to know.

Shortly thereafter, Edward opened the door and wiggled his finger at me. I glanced at Abby and got up.

"Abby, Mary will be in shortly, okay? Daddy's going to have to go work soon."

"Alright, Daddy, love you!" she sang.

"I love you, too, baby. You'll be asleep when I get done so I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy! Bye, Bella!"

"Bye, Abby!"

I started out the door when I felt her little hand tugging at the hem of my blouse. I looked down and she had that serious look again. "Will you be here tomorrow, Bella?"

I glanced at Edward in a panic and he answered for me. "We don't know yet, Abby, but if not, we'll see her again soon, okay?"

"Okay!" she said, and threw her arms around my thighs. I giggled and picked her up to hug her properly. "I hope you stay," she said solemnly.

"We'll see, okay? I might have to take care of some things at home, but if I do, I'll see you soon."

It was bad enough to think about having to leave Edward for any amount of time, but then I had to face leaving Abby too. I tried to put it out of my mind as we passed by Mary on our way out of the bus. I knew that Abby would be well taken care of, but I felt very protective of her. She was so beautiful and so innocent that I didn't want her to ever have to witness anything bad again.

Once Edward and I were alone he said, "I'm sorry about that. I don't want you to stay with me because you feel guilty about my daughter asking you to. I want you to stay with me and go on tour with me because you want to, Bella."

"I want to, Edward. I do. It's just… there are some things I feel like I need to take care of at home first. I'll have to either take a leave of absence or quit the university, I need to put my things in storage, there's Alice's wedding…"

"Bella… It's possible to do all those things from the road and I would never keep you from Alice's wedding. Please consider just staying with me? You won't need anything. Whatever clothes you need, I'll buy. I'll put the Ferrari in a trailer and we'll take it with us, or I'll send it back to your house. I just really… need… you with me… I think."

Edward and I stood there in the parking lot staring at each other for the longest time. I knew that I wanted to stay with him. I just didn't know if it was the right thing to do or not. Finally, I just blurted it out.

"I'd love to go with you, Edward. At least for now. Besides, I'm not letting freaking Emmett teach me to drive the Ferrari." I felt like a weight lifted off me when I finally agreed to stay with him. I knew it was what I wanted to do, but I hadn't been sure that I should say yes. Once I said it, I knew it was right. I was both thrilled and terrified as I didn't know what to expect while on the road with Edward, but I also knew that everything would be fine as long as he was with me and I was with him. I could also see that Edward was relieved. He obviously had been very worried that I wouldn't want to go with him. He was so adorable when he was being insecure. We joined hands and headed in to find his dressing room together and I knew that it would be the first of many nights we would take that journey together before a show. I was happier in that moment than I ever thought I could be.

**_End Note: Obviously, we are at The Amphitheater in Clark County north of Portland. Yes, there ARE VIP passes for this show. YES, we are headed to California next. Sacramento, San Francisco, LA, and San Diego. :) REVIEWS = LOVE and VIP Passes! Come on down and get yours!!! Lillie? You got the Scoobymobile gassed up for our California trip BB?_**


	14. Fuse

**_A/N This chapter goes out to all of you who thought I had died or something... I assure you, I didn't. There's a special treat in it just for being so patient with me while I've plodded my way through the last few weeks. Thanks for all the PMs and emails checking on me to make sure I was okay. My fans are the best! _**

**_Lillie ~ More than words ~ You don't have to say that you love me, because I already know. And by the way, I love you, too. Thanks for being there._**

**_Amy ~ Nobody channels the bitch like you do, darlin'. Thanks for everything._**

**_SM ~ Thanks for writing Twilight so that I could take your wonderful characters and play with them in my own little Alternate Universe. Don't own anything Twilight or Aerosmith, although I wish I owned Edward and Steven Tyler... *sigh*_**

_I know what nobody knows  
Where it comes and where it goes  
I know it's everybody's sin  
You got to lose to know how to win_

_Sing with me  
Sing for the years  
Sing for the laughter  
Sing for the tears  
Sing with me, if it's just for today  
Maybe tomorrow the good Lord will take you away...__  
_

_**Edward**_

Laying on the bed with Abby and Bella watching Dora felt like the most natural thing in the world to me. I hadn't been that relaxed in so long that I didn't remember what it felt like. I was so excited that the two of them had hit it off that I could hardly contain it. I found myself looking at Bella more than I was looking at the TV and marveling at just how perfect she was. Furthermore, being with her as a couple felt so right, more so than anything ever had for me. She was the perfect addition to my little family that consisted of Abby and me. She made it all seem complete. I even went so far as to make a mental note to give Rhianne a raise for giving me Bella's letter. Had it not been for Rhianne, we never would have met.

I had been expecting a call from Tanya since Sunday morning. I didn't want it to come, but I knew it would. I was sure she had seen the picture in Sunday's paper and it would only be a matter of time before she let her vile, jealous self rear up and give me a hard time. It was a part of the reason that I hadn't dated since our divorce, other than the fact that I hadn't met anyone worth my time until Bella. I got up and headed for the door immediately when the call came in. I felt sure it was going to be ugly and Abby didn't need to hear it. I was right.

"Where the hell is my daughter?" is what greeted me when I answered the phone.

"It's not your day to see her, Tanya, what difference does it make?"

"I have a right to know where she is!"

"Actually, no. You don't." I briefly wondered if I should just hang up on her or continue to be drawn into her crap. I decided my best course of action was to try to finish the conversation as amicably as I could so that she wouldn't call me a hundred times.

"I sure as hell do!"

"Did you have an actual purpose for calling me other than to demand to know where _our_ daughter, whom you no longer have custody of, is?"

"Just because you temporarily have custody doesn't mean that I don't have the right to know where she is, dickhead!"

"I would appreciate it if you would lay off the name-calling, Tanya." I was trying to hold my temper, but it was waning fast. I pinched the bridge of my nose as I stepped outside of the tour bus to make sure that Abby didn't hear me yelling if it came to that. My show was approaching and I was mentally psyching myself to be ready for it and already I could tell that the part of me where EC Velvet resided was getting really pissed off.

"Are you going to tell me where she is, or not?"

"She's with me."

"WHAT?! You've got to be fucking shitting me! You've got her on TOUR with you? What kind of fucked up bullshit is that?!"

"Tanya, calm down or I'm ending this conversation and changing my phone number. She's with me and Mary is, too. She's fine."

"Mary? What the fuck, Edward? You can't even take care of her yourself? You have to have a fucking nanny for her? How the fuck did you get Mary back? She quit!"

"She quit working for you when you neglected to pay her. I don't know where the hell all the thousands of dollars of child support I was paying you every month was going, but it wasn't to take care of Abby or pay Mary like it was supposed to. I can only guess that it was going up your nose."

"Fuck you."

I chuckled.

"That's mature, Tanya. Real mature."

"What I do is none of your fucking business!"

"Nope, it's not, and I don't care anymore either. Do what you want, as long as it doesn't impact Abby. All I know is that I won't be financing it anymore, or did you miss the part of the hearing where I don't have to pay you child support or alimony anymore?"

"So?"

"Just making sure you weren't calling to dog me about where your precious check was."

"When am I going to see Abigail?"

I rolled my eyes. When would this woman figure out that things had changed and she wasn't getting her way about everything anymore?

"Tanya, you have scheduled supervised visits and the first one is two weeks away. She'll be there, okay? Is there anything else?"

"She's not with your fucking mystery woman is she?"

_Well, now there's the crux of it. Now we're getting down to business._

"None of your business."

"Who is she, Edward? The flavor-of-the-month groupie that you're currently banging?"

"No. She's not a groupie. She's a friend."

"Are you fucking her?"

"What do you care?"

"I don't want you doing that kind of shit in front of my daughter. It'll confuse her."

I closed my eyes and shook my head, letting out a long breath. _And your rotating door of one night stands and fucking drug dealers to pay for drugs doesn't confuse her, bitch? _

I sat down in a chair under the awning of the bus to contemplate how much to tell Tanya and how much to keep to myself. I didn't want to give her any ammunition, but I knew full well that Abby would be talking about Bella next time she talked to or saw her mother. I wouldn't ask Abby to keep secrets. Her mother had done enough of that.

"Well? Are you fucking her or not? Who the hell is she?"

"I told you. She's a friend. Abby has met her, yes. No, we're not having sex. We're friends. Period. End of story." I waited for Tanya to go ballistic, and wasn't disappointed when she started screaming a string of profanities at me. Interestingly enough, I really didn't even listen. I was more absorbed in the fact that I had spoken of Bella and sex in the same sentence. My mind was lost to fantasies of doing just that… having sex with Bella. No. Making love to Bella. No. Being with Bella forever. Taking Bella in my arms. Kissing her tenderly. Undressing her and laying her on my bed. Worshipping her body the way she deserved to be worshipped.

"Are you listening to me, Edward? What the fuck?!"

"I'm sorry, wh- what?"

"Are you high? What the hell?"

"Uh, no, Tanya. I'm not high. That's _your _specialty. I just got distracted for a minute. Are you about finished? I have to go get ready for work."

"Work? HA! What a fuckin' joke!"

I didn't respond. Obviously, I was finished listening to her. Why wouldn't she just go away? Forever.

"Fine." I didn't even hear the click on the line when she hung up. I simply pocketed my phone and went inside to get Bella. It really was time for me to start getting ready and I didn't want Abby around when I did. EC Velvet was not someone I had introduced my little girl to, nor would I for quite some time.

Once Bella was with me and we had determined, to my utter joy, that she was going to stay with me, I took her hand and we went to find my dressing room. The crowds were already gathering outside and I was thankful for the increased security I had hired now that Abby would be with me. We found my dressing room and I grabbed a beer and poured Bella a glass of wine. I changed my clothes and sent a text to my lawyer to beware of nasty phone calls from my ex wife the next day. After a moment's thought, I texted Seth and asked him to keep an eye on her if he had time. I didn't need her showing up unannounced and harassing Mary or Bella, or worse, trying to take Abby.

Bella seemed to be having the time of her life watching all the goings on backstage. She went with Rhianne to monitor the soundcheck and was amazed by being able to go out on the stage without anyone in the amphitheater. Rhianne had already taken care of getting identification for Bella so that none of the security people questioned her. With her identification hanging around her neck, Bella was free to go anywhere she wanted to while she was with me. She seemed to try to stay away from the dressing room quite a bit and I wondered if she thought she was bothering me. I found that I missed her being with me every second that she wasn't there. I even had trouble concentrating while I was preparing. What was it about that woman that had me so bumfuzzled that I couldn't think without her standing in my presence? I tried multiple times to shake the feeling that when she was away from me, I wasn't quite complete, but it wouldn't go away. Every time she walked in the dressing room, smiling the most beautiful smile in the universe, it felt as though my soul suddenly became whole again.

It was with that feeling that I went on stage that night. Every time I looked to the edge of the stage and saw Bella standing there, my heart felt full, my soul felt complete, and somehow I knew that I wouldn't be able to live without her. Somehow, through a few letters, a couple phone calls, and the brief amount of time that we had been together, my whole world had come to revolve around her and Abby. I even found myself distracted on stage a couple of times as I thought about the implications of that. Apparently, the crowd didn't notice that I was distracted. It was one of my best shows ever and the response from the crowd was amazing. When it was time for me to go off stage and change for the encore, all I could think about was getting Bella in my arms and kissing her as though my life depended on it.

She was right there when I came off the stage with that crazy wonderful smile of hers. She giggled when I grabbed her hand and ran, leading her to the dressing room. She didn't protest when I slammed the dressing room door, locked it, and pushed her up against it to kiss her. Her body melted into mine when I slid her hands up over her head and held them there with mine while I kissed her and ground my arousal against her stomach. In fact, she wrapped her leg around mine and ground herself back against me.

_Fuck yeah!_

We were making out like crazy against that door until I had lost all sense of space and time. When Rhianne pounded on the door and said, "Edward! Time to go," I was shocked back into reality and looked down to find that Bella and I both had our hands up each other's shirts and left alone much longer, some shit would have gone down that I was afraid she might have regretted in the morning. I knew I wouldn't regret it. Ever. I was already so comfortable and so in love with Bella that it seemed like a logical next step. The chemistry between us left an electricity hanging in the air around us, not to mention in my body. I kissed her mouth tenderly one last time.

"Gotta go, babe."

"I know." She still seemed to be trying to catch her breath and for the first time in the middle of a concert, I felt nothing like Velvet. I was all Edward. Every part of me was in sync. All of my personality had woven together and the only thing that any part of me felt was love. It was as though Bella's presence alone was enough to fix what was broken inside of me and make me a whole man again. It frightened and exhilarated me all at the same time. I couldn't really remember how to function as a whole person because it had been so long.

"Bella, I love you. You know that, right?"

She rewarded me with a smile. "I love you, too. Now get back to work before they start rioting out there."

Bella was right behind me as I ran back to the stage and her presence brought a peace to my soul. I realized that the feeling I had when she was near me was not something I should question, but embrace. My feet hit the stage feeling like they were on air. I killed the crowd with my encore and ran full speed once more back to the dressing room with Bella's hand in mine. We burst through the door together and I grabbed her to me to kiss her. She wrapped her legs around my waist and we held each other tightly talking, laughing, kissing, and just being. The guys showed up in the dressing room shortly after we did and were really pumped. I put Bella down just in time.

Chris came over and high-fived me before planting a big kiss on Bella's cheek. She giggled and blushed about fifteen shades of red. It was positively adorable. We were all enjoying the high we had from the performance and were talking and laughing together.

Bella and I were sharing a glass of vodka when a knock came at the door from security. "Excuse me, Mr. Velvet?" I chuckled.

My bodyguard opened the door to two bouncers and about thirty women with VIP passes. A few of them I recognized as regulars, who called themselves 'Velvet's Vixens,' and I groaned. Bella looked confused as she looked from the girls outside the door back to me.

The bodyguard turned to me and I nodded, the sign to let him know that it was okay to let them in. I decided that Bella was going to have to get used to it sometime if she was going to be with me on this tour. I looked at Bella who still wore a look of confusion.

"They're VIPs, baby. They have backstage passes which gives them the right to come backstage after the show. It's all part of the game. Don't worry, I only have eyes for you and rarely, if ever, socialize much with them. But, be forewarned, some of them are regulars and they're going to question your presence. This is your last chance to bail because by tomorrow, the whole world is going to know that EC Velvet is dating Bella Swan."

She wore a half-smile as she looked at the women crowding into the room, accompanied by one male fan who looked like he felt very out of place. She looked back at me and said, "It doesn't matter, Edward. I know you'll protect me from anything that I shouldn't or don't want to see, and beyond that, nothing else in this world matters right now except me with you."

I'm pretty sure that my heart started doing flip-flops in my chest. Hell, it may have jumped right out my throat and done cartwheels all around the room. I know it did something, I just wasn't sure what.

Bella and I were gazing at each other just drinking in the moment when one of the Vixens plopped herself down on Brad's lap right next to us, pointed at Bella, and said, "So, who's she?"

I sighed loudly and turned to her. Raising an eyebrow I said, "Hi, Amy. How are you?"

"I'd be better if I knew why none of us could get VIPs in Seattle!"

I looked at Bella and winked, then looked back at Amy. "Amy, this is Bella, my girlfriend. Bella, this is Amy, one of Velvet's Vixens, as they call themselves."

Bella stuck her hand out to Amy while pulling me closer to her with her other arm. "Hi, Amy. Nice to meet you."

Amy's eyebrow shot up and she tentatively put her hand out to shake Bella's hand. "Hi, Bella. Where'd you meet Velvet?"

"It's a long story, Amy. One that I don't really feel like telling right now."

I let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding. I didn't realize that I had been nervous about how Bella would handle the questions, but in that moment, I realized that I _had_ been nervous and that I had no reason to be nervous about it at the same time. She would do just fine.

Bella was sitting on my lap and scooted closer to me, nuzzling her head into my shoulder as we sat there quietly watching the goings on in the room. Several of the Vixens came over and said hello to Bella and me. They were all very nice and Amy was the only one to question Bella. Lil, the one who had been with them the longest, and was truly a good friend to all of us, sat down and talked to us for several minutes as though she had known Bella forever. She asked Bella's name, but that was all. She didn't pry. I was appreciative of her kindness.

Once things started to wind down, I could see that Bella was getting tired. She had tried to stifle a couple of yawns, but I knew she was worn out. I said my goodbyes to all the ladies and the rest of the guys and lead Bella out so I could get her to bed. She was still talking animatedly about the show and everything that went on and I realized that she was a little bit drunk. I chuckled while she talked away.

"Whatcha laughin' at, Edward?"

"You, silly Bella."

She stumbled and I caught her before she fell, pulling her up in my arms. Two of my bodyguards were with us and they both rushed to help with her. She was giggling and hearing her giggle made me laugh. I picked her up with one arm around her upper back, her legs over my other arm, and carried her the rest of the way to the bus.

Rhianne met us just before we entered and told me that she had put Abby and Mary in her room on the other bus and she was taking one of the bunks. We were to be traveling to San Francisco that night so she wanted to make sure that Abby got plenty of rest. Apparently, the rest of the guys were staying in her bus, too, and she had made arrangements for a smaller third bus to meet us in San Francisco. I put Bella down and she stepped onto the bus while I stayed outside to talk to Rhianne.

"I'm not sleeping with her in the sense that you're thinking, Rhianne."

"I understand that, Edward, but you still need some privacy. She's not used to all this and she's going to need a place where she can get away. Abby and Mary will be fine in the other bus for a few days until Bella gets used to it and if you should decide to become intimate, at least you'll be alone."

I looked at her intensely for a few moments. _Become intimate. With Bella. _I didn't know if we were ready for that. I wanted it, but I didn't know if the time was right yet. I had never been so unsure of myself when it came to a woman and sex before in my life. Usually it was a no-brainer and although Bella aroused me incredibly, there was something special about the connection we shared that made me think that I needed to hold off even though I wanted her worse than I had ever wanted a woman before.

Finally, I responded to Rhianne. "Um, thank you, Rhianne. Have I told you lately that you're the best?"

She smiled and patted me on the back before walking away. "Great show tonight, Edward. You seem to have a new spring in your step."

I entered the bus and headed for the bedroom in the back. I could hear Rhianne outside directing the bodyguards to remain outside the bus until the driver was safely aboard and then they could get on the other bus. I smirked. Rhianne seemed to be doing everything she could to afford privacy for Bella and me. It was a kind gesture, but one that was a bit too soon I feared.

When I walked into the bedroom, Bella wasn't there, but the bathroom door was closed and the shower was running. I sat down on the bed and stared at the bathroom door.

_Bella's naked. Six feet from me. _

I laid back on the bed to wait for her and was considering how gentlemanly I was being when the door to the bathroom opened. I turned my head to look and Bella stood there gloriously naked, bathed in the light from the bathroom. It was dark in the bedroom and her form silhouetted in the bathroom door took my breath away.

"Edward," she whispered, "I want you. I can't wait any longer."

I reached my arms out to her and she stepped over to the bed. She crawled up on top of me and planted her lips on mine in a kiss that portrayed all of her need. I put my arms around her and rolled us over so that I was atop of her.

"Are you sure, Bella?"

She nodded, her eyes shining brightly in the moonlight that streamed in through the blinds on the windows.

Her hands wandered down to the hem of my t-shirt and pulled on it. I helped her out by pulling it over my head and tossing it on the floor. I leaned down to kiss her again and my breath caught at the feeling of her breasts pressed against my chest. I let my hands wander over her body and feel the softness of her skin, the swell of her bosom, the pebbling of her nipples as my hands slid across them. The sounds she made as I touched her skin enthralled me and pushed me to want more, need more.

Her hands were wandering over my body as well, sliding down my back, cupping my jean-clad buttocks, then back up. She traced my muscles with her fingers dancing lightly across them. She touched my nipples and sent electricity straight through my chest and into my groin. I felt my cock growing hard and straining in my jeans as her lips and hands moved across my body. I kissed her deeply while I ground my cock against her and she groaned, arching herself towards me, needing the friction that I was providing.

Our kisses were at a near frenzied state and I couldn't think about anything but being inside her honeyed walls. I reached between us and yanked open the button-fly of my jeans, allowing some breathing space for my rock-hard member. Bella immediately shoved her hand between us and stroked me though my silk boxers causing an immediate and almost violent shudder to rip through my body. I quickly pushed my jeans off, trying not to break any contact with her. I planted my lips on her left nipple and sucked and tugged on it with my teeth, enjoying the moans that spilled from her lips. She pushed and pulled at my boxers so I obliged her and pushed them off as well, leaving us both naked before one another. Nothing had ever felt so natural to me in my life as having my naked body flush against Bella's.

She sighed and moaned as I let my left hand drift between her legs. Heat emanated from her core and as I slid my fingers between her wet, swollen, lower lips, gooseflesh broke out all over my body in the excitement of feeling her for the first time. She grunted and groaned as I allowed my fingers to explore her nether region and her legs opened wide to me when I dipped just the tip of my middle finger inside her.

"Oh, God, Bella, you're so wet…" I moaned.

She ground herself into my hand so I pushed further and buried my middle finger inside of her pussy, feeling the walls pulsating around it. She let out a loud sigh and thrust against my hand as I started stroking her slowly. She fisted her hands into my hair and pulled my head down to her body where I used my tongue to trace patterns on her breasts while slowly adding a second finger inside her.

"Ah… oh… God… Edward… need you… ungh…"

I stroked her a few more times, curling my fingers to find her sweet spot. She cried out and shuddered as a powerful orgasm caused her tunnel to spasm and clamp around my fingers.

_Holy. Fuck. She's. Hot._

Small beads of sweat began to form on her forehead, upper lip, and chest. I licked her chest and then brought my hand up to my mouth, moving deliberately slowly and watching her as I pushed my fingers inside my mouth to taste her.

_Fuck._

"Mmm, you taste so fucking good..."

She grabbed hold of my neck, pulling me to her and ran her tongue along my fingers that were still buried in my mouth as I sucked her juices off them before plunging her tongue into my mouth. I pulled my fingers out and steadied myself on the bed, ready to enter her. I felt the tip of my cock touching her lips and she tilted her hips, spreading her legs wide to grant me entrance. Just as I began to slip inside her, she started saying, "Edward? Edward? Did you want to take a shower?"

I sat straight up and looked around wildly. Bella sat down next to me on the bed in the dark and stroked my hair. "Are you okay? I think you must have been dreaming."

"I, um, er, yeah, I must have, um, drifted off… I'll just, uh, go get in the shower real quick," I stuttered before jumping off the bed and scampering into the bathroom. I could have sworn I saw her smirking just before the bathroom door closed.

**_End Note: Next show is in San Francisco so please review to get your VIP pass!_**

**_The Secret Twilight Garden is hosting a contest "A rose by any other name would still _____ as sweet". Details are on my profile. We want lots of entries so put your thinking caps on and write something up for us!_**

**_The Letter was nominated for an Indie Twific Award! The first round of voting is already complete and I don't know yet whether it made the cut, but to whomever nominated it and whomever voted for it... THANK YOU! It was a tremendous honor to be nominated!_**

**_Don't forget to check out my entry in the Age of Edward contest called "Omerta". It's Mafiaward/Domward. (YUM!) The link is on my profile. If you like it, let me know and vote for me please! After the contest is over I plan to expand that story because it was SO much fun to write._**

**_Hopefully I'll get back to updating regularly. I have had a ton of RL twists and turns that have gotten me completely discombobulated and have taken time away from my writing. I'm hoping that things will start to level out now. Thanks for hanging in there with me._**

**_Reviews are love, VIP passes, and Edward's dreams becoming reality... eventually..._**


	15. Sailing

**_A/N Hi everyone! *waves* I know... update fail... again! But... here I am with a chapter that I think you'll enjoy. ;) Has everyone read my entry for the Age of Edward Contest? I hope so. I think the voting is over. I don't know how I did yet, but thank you to anyone who read it and voted for me! _**

**_Theme song for this chapter is "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. (Thank you Lillie for saving my ass... again...)_**

**_Speaking of Lillie saving my ass... HUGE thanks to her for her mad beta skills and for being a very cool chick that I'm proud to call my friend. :) You rock hard, bb!_**

**_I also need to thank Amy, Mil, Lea, and Tammy for keeping me honest and keeping me moving forward. All of my friends have been uber supportive of me and I appreciate it more than any of you know. I also wanna give a big shout out to all the rest of "Velvet's Vixens" who keep my thread on Twilighted hoppin' and sport those cool banners that identify them. :)_**

**_By the way, I haven't been to San Francisco since I was like, seven? So, if I totally fucked up the sight-seeing tour in this chapter, please be gentle with me, mmmkay??_**

_Disclaimer: I own Rhianne, Abby, and the other guys in EC Velvet's group. Other than that, all characters that are named after characters in the Twilight Saga, but don't necessarily ACT like them all the time in this story, are owned by Stephenie Meyer, without whom I never would have posted a word that I wrote for anyone to read. Unfortunately, I don't make a damn dime off this crap. *sigh* Oh, and Edward owns me, and rocks my panties. Just in case you didn't already know. _

_**Bella**_

I stood in the bathroom door for several minutes watching Edward asleep on the bed. He was obviously dreaming and it was obviously a very hot dream he was having. I was thoroughly mesmerized watching him and listening to the moans, grunts, and utterances. It felt almost wrong to be watching him sleep while in the middle of an erotic dream, but I couldn't take my eyes off him. As he moved on the bed, the sleeve of his shirt would slide up just the tiniest bit and I could see the edge of the tattoo that adorned his right upper arm. I let my eyes travel over his body, staring at the tight black t-shirt and the way his abdominal muscles rippled beneath it with every one of his ragged breaths. When my eyes reached his jeans, my breath hitched at the sight of his very hard cock straining against the buttons of his 501's.

I couldn't stop staring at that fucking bulge in his jeans. Jesus Christ, I felt like the biggest fucking perv in the world. He moaned again and his hips, dear God, his hips thrust upwards and then, the pièce de résistance… he moaned my name. Moaned. My. Fucking. Name. Then he said, "Wet." I think I may have groaned aloud.

Bloody fucking hell, he was dreaming about me. I wasn't really sure what to do. I was so turned on that I wanted to sneak over to the bed, rip off my pajamas, rip off his jeans, and ride him as though there were no tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that I've never been quite that turned on in my entire life before or since then. Okay, well, if I'm truly honest with myself, I've been more turned on than that since then, but up until that point, I'd never wanted cock so badly in my life.

My feet were rooted to the floor for a few more minutes while I watched him and listened to the fuckhot sounds he was making. The reasonable part of me kept trying to tell me that it was impolite to look but the part of me that was just fucking horny kept trying to prod me to act on my instincts. It had been far too long since I'd been laid and Edward was just all kinds of hotness.

What drove me over the edge was when he put his fingers in his mouth. Fuck me sideways that was hot. It was when he said, "You taste so fucking good," that I decided I had to wake him up. If I watched any longer, I wasn't going to be able to control my body and I had nearly come standing there watching him stick his fingers in his mouth. I had to resist the urge to jump his bones. It wasn't time. We weren't ready for a sexual relationship. What if it messed up the great friendship and romance we were already creating?

I walked over to the bed and stood looking down at him as his hips thrust upwards again. He moaned and just before I lost it, I woke him. "Edward? Edward? Did you want to take a shower?"

God. I felt so fucking dumb. I wanted to lay on top of him. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to rip his clothes off and lick every muscle on his torso. I wanted to put my hand on his rock-hard cock and pump it furiously. I wanted to wrap my lips around it and taste him. But I didn't. I sat down next to him and ran my fingers through his hair, acting as though I hadn't just watched him fucking me in his sleep.

"Are you okay? I think you must have been dreaming?" My mind screamed at me that I was lame. _Why don't you just fucking tell him what you saw? So what if he's embarrassed? It was HOT!_

He stuttered around and then jumped and ran for the bathroom. My suspicions had been correct. He was embarrassed, but what about? Was it the dream? The content of the dream? Or that I had walked in on him? He had taken one last look at me before he closed the bathroom door and I swear he blushed.

I sat back on the bed and tried to decide how to proceed. Should I leave? Should I stay? Should I go get in the shower with him? Decidedly not. I just didn't know what to do. I didn't know if we were ready to add the complication of sex to our relationship. It had only been a few days for crying out loud.

I listened to the sounds coming from the bathroom. Edward was silent as he showered and I wondered briefly if he was taking a hot shower… or a cold one. I giggled quietly while I pondered that.

I finally decided to quit over-analyzing the situation and let fate take its course. I would enjoy being with Edward for as long as fate allowed us to be together, which I hoped was until the day I died, but nobody ever knows for sure what's in store for them. Obviously, the fates had a big hand in putting us together, so it was time to ride it out and see exactly what would happen.

I laid there in the bed drifting into the land between sleep and wakefulness until Edward came out of the bathroom clad only in a pair of sleep pants. Not. Helpful. My resolve to remain in a non-sexual relationship with him immediately flew right out the window as he shut off the bathroom light and made his way over to the bed, climbing under the covers and scooting close to me. I inhaled deeply and enjoyed the scent of a freshly bathed Edward.

He lay on his side propped up on his elbow and leaned over to kiss my forehead. "Is everything alright, Bella?" he whispered in the darkness.

I stared up at him with only the moonlight coming through the shades on the window illuminating his face. "Yeah, everything's just fine, why?"

"I don't know, just making sure. It's all surreal for me."

"Me too, Edward. Me too."

"Are you tired?"

"A little, not bad. Did you want to talk?" I saw him smile, or smirk, whichever it was.

"Yeah, I guess I wanted to talk… or something."

I felt warmth spreading in the pit of my stomach as soon as the "or something" came out of his mouth. Was it possible that he wanted to…? I felt a spasm in my core as I rolled over on my side to look at him.

"Edward… I…"

"Was I talking in my sleep?" His face was serious, but I could see the moonlight dancing in his eyes.

I blushed furiously as I answered. "Yeah… you kind of were." I bit my lip and watched his face.

"I'm sorry."

I put my hand on his face and looked deep into his eyes. "Don't be, Edward. It's not like I don't have the same feelings. I just… I don't want to screw this up. Ya know?"

"Me either, love."

I smiled at him and he smiled back before placing a chaste kiss on my lips. The bus engine started and I could hear other engines starting around us.

"How come we're all alone in here? Where's Abby?"

"Rhianne put her and Mary in the other bus in her bed. She's a jewel."

"How long has she been with you, Edward?"

"As soon as I could afford an assistant, I hired Rhianne. She's been with me ever since. She's irreplaceable. I don't know what I'd do if she ever quit. Although, I make it worth her while not to."

Edward and I laid there and talked for quite some time. As we talked, the bus started moving and I found the movement to be quite relaxing.

I reminded myself that I had to call Alice in the morning. She would be expecting me home. I was surprised that I hadn't heard from her more than just a single text asking if I was having a good time.

We finally drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. I was thoroughly enjoying the closeness we were sharing. My sleep was deep, but full of dreams about Edward.

When I awakened the next morning, we were still on the road. Edward had said that it was a ten-hour drive to San Francisco, so I hadn't expected us to be there when I woke up. I glanced over at Edward, who was still asleep, and smiled at him. His lips were turned up in a small smile and his bronze hair was a mess. I watched his chest rise and fall and felt so much affection for the man lying next to me. I glanced up at the clock and noted that it was ten o'clock so I slid carefully out of bed. After I brushed my teeth and hair, I tiptoed out of the bathroom and bedroom. I closed the bedroom door quietly and greeted the bus driver. He let me know that we were in California and had a couple of hours to go so I started digging around for food. I was pleased to find eggs, milk, bread, juice, bacon… everything I needed to make a great breakfast. There was even cheese, onions, peppers, and tomatoes so I set out to make omelets for Edward and me.

Edward awoke a short time later and came out of the bedroom smiling. "I smell food," he said while he stretched. I was immediately distracted looking at his perfect body. He had tats on both deltoids, one on his left chest, and one on his back. I had known that he had them, but seeing him in the morning light, stretching, just made him look sexy as hell with them.

He walked over to where I stood at the stove and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned into his chest and he kissed my neck and ear. I smiled and sighed. I knew that I could so get used to that every morning.

"Mornin', babe. Whatcha cookin'?" he said in my ear in the most velvety, smooth, sexy voice.

"Mmmmm, breakfast," I replied and turned into his arms. He kissed my lips then and smiled at me.

"You don't have to cook for me, Bella."

"I know, but I wanted to. Sit down."

He kissed me again and sat down at the table. We ate breakfast and talked about what the day was going to be like. I heard my phone from the bedroom and it was Alice's ringtone. I hadn't called her yet.

"Oh shit, that's Alice," I said as I jumped and ran for my phone. I stumbled and damn near ended up on my face. Edward was so fast. He was up and caught me before I biffed it on the floor of the bus.

"Bella, are you okay?"

I caught my breath. "Yeah, I'm fine, thanks."

He chuckled and kissed my cheek before righting me and releasing me. I placed my hand on my cheek where his lips had touched me and smiled at him. My cheek was still tingling, as was any part of my body that Edward ever touched.

We stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment and Edward brought his hand up and touched his lips. That was the first time that I realized that he felt the electricity between us as well. There was a short awkward silence before I turned and went back to the bedroom to get my phone. I had one missed call and three text messages from Alice. I also had two texts from Rose, one from Jasper, and eight from Emmett. I sighed and walked back to the table to sit down and read the texts before calling Alice.

Emmett's were, of course, crude in nature and I giggled while reading them.

"Your friends worried about you?"

"I'm not exactly sure that 'worried' is the word I would use," I said, laughing.

"Giving you a hard time then?"

"You could say that."

Edward looked at me expectantly so I read Emmett's message aloud to him.

"Be safe, Bells. I can buy you a truckload of condoms if you'd like, or a membership to the condom-of-the-month club." I looked up at Edward and his eyes were twinkling. I started laughing and he joined in.

"That Emmett is a riot."

"Yeah, he's a funny guy."

It was obvious that all of my friends had deduced that I was going with Edward, at least for a while. Alice's last text message read, _"Bella, would you get out of bed and at least answer your damn phone?"_

I chuckled as I hit her speed dial number and listened as her phone rang once. "Bella!"

"Hi, Alice. Everything is fine. Sorry I didn't get in touch with you sooner."

"I knew everything was fine. I just wanted to talk to you, silly!"

Edward smiled at me over his cup of coffee as I talked to Alice. I told her that I could arrange to have my things moved out of the house if she wanted me to, but she insisted that I leave them. Of course, I knew that would be her answer, but I wanted to offer. We talked a little about the wedding and she still hadn't set a date. She had a lot of questions about when the tour would be "over."

"Oh, I don't know if I'm staying that long… Perhaps just…"

"Bella, are you crazy? Of course you're staying that long! Take a leave of absence from school and go, Bella. Have fun. Let me talk to Edward."

"Okay," I said, and handed Edward the phone. I was in a bit of a daze. It felt as though everything was falling into place without my even trying. It was as though there was something making everything work out just as it should.

After we both spoke to Alice, I started to call the school to get the papers for a leave of absence, but I didn't know where to have them sent. Edward called Rhianne and she agreed to take care of it for me, once again showing me that everything was going to work itself out.

We arrived in San Francisco shortly after twelve-noon. I got out of the bus and looked at the back of the Fillmore Auditorium thinking how strange it was to be there. The other bus pulled up next to us and stopped. Shortly thereafter, Abby came bounding off it.

"Bella! I got to sleep in the big bed with Mary and we got to watch cartoons while we were traveling and I got a whole bunch of new toys and look at my new doll, isn't she pretty!?"

I giggled and swept her up into my arms, hugging her tightly. "That's wonderful, Abby! What a beautiful doll!"

"I named her Bella 'cause she looks like you! See? She has pretty brown hair and eyes!"

"How sweet of you!"

"Where's my daddy?"

"He was right behind me." I turned around and Edward was stepping off the bus with a huge grin on his face and a camera in his hand. He snapped a picture of Abby and me before handing me the camera as he took Abby.

"Hi, baby! Did you sleep good?"

"Yes, daddy! See my new doll? Isn't she pretty? She's named Bella!"

Edward laughed and I took a few pictures myself as I watched him with his daughter. It was obvious that she was the light of his life. His face lit up and he had an infectious smile whenever she was around.

I fell more in love with Edward every minute that I was with him, but I found that the time I spent with him and Abby just made me fall faster and harder. He was such a good dad. The more I saw Abby and Edward together, the more I wanted to kick the shit out of his whore of an ex-wife. That bitch was just pure evil to use Abby the way she did and to neglect her as much as she had. My mind was already made up that as long as I was around, I was going to do anything and everything in my power to make sure Abby stayed with Edward. He was good for her and she was good for him.

Abby said she was hungry and I hopped up from the chair I was in to see if I could find her some food. Mary looked at me funny and said, "Bella, sit down and rest, hon. I'll go fix her some lunch."

Honestly, I had almost forgotten that Mary was there. It just seemed like the right thing for me to do to get Abby's lunch for her. "Are you sure, Mary? Wouldn't you like to rest? I can whip up something."

Mary smiled. "Thanks, Bella, but I've already got a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made along with some fruit cut up. All I have to do is go get it. Just enjoy yourself."

There was a lot of activity and I walked around a little bit to stretch while Abby had her lunch. The semi-trucks with all the stage paraphernalia were unloading. I walked around and watched the stagehands hauling equipment off the trucks and into the auditorium. After Abby had her lunch, Mary said she wanted to lay her down for a while for a short nap as she had been up late the night before and awakened early that morning. Abby gave Edward and me both hugs and kisses before she went to lie down and I realized that not only was I in love with Edward, I was head over heels in love with his little girl, too.

As soon as Mary and Abby had disappeared into the bus, Edward turned to me with a grin. He had his phone up to his ear and it sounded like he was talking to Rhianne. When he hung up, he grabbed my hand and said, "You ever been across the Golden Gate Bridge?"

"Um, no, Edward. I've never been to San Francisco."

"Good, because we're going to do a little sight-seeing!"

We wandered back until we found a truck that my pretty blue car was being unloaded from. As soon as it was out of the truck, Edward opened the passenger door for me and stole a kiss as I crawled in. I grinned at him while he shut my door and ran around to the driver's side. He jumped in and took off like a bat out of hell.

It was a rare sunny day in San Francisco. No fog or clouds to block the lovely views. We drove down Lombard Street and then made our way over to The Embarcadero and took that to Fisherman's Wharf. We got out at Fisherman's Wharf and walked around for a half hour or so and then drove over to Hyde Street to see the cable cars. Next, we took Marina Boulevard around and Edward pointed out the San Francisco National Cemetery and showed me where The Presidio was. Then, it was on up The Redwood Highway to the Golden Gate Bridge. We crossed the bridge and I was astounded at how big and beautiful it was, its orange paint in stark contrast to the dark ocean water below and the blue sky above. When we reached the northern side, we pulled off into the Vista Point parking lot and took some pictures of the bridge.

The sky was a gorgeous blue without a cloud in sight and the bridge was absolutely breathtaking. Edward asked an older couple to take a picture of us in front of the bridge and we were thrilled that they agreed. No one bothered us and it was as though we were any other couple just out enjoying the sights in San Francisco. I also realized that this was the first picture of Edward and me together that we had taken so I couldn't wait to get it printed.

We got back in the car and drove south across the bridge again and I delighted in taking pictures from the car. Once we were back on the San Francisco side of the bridge, Edward made his way back to The Fillmore. He explained that he wanted to show me more, but time wouldn't permit it on this trip.

"It's okay, Edward. I've thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon and hopefully there will be another time."

He took my hand and squeezed it tightly. "I hope so, Bella. I really do."

When we arrived back at The Fillmore, crowds were starting to gather and there was a rather large contingency of reporters and photographers loitering around as close to the buses as they could get. Edward took my hand and squeezed it again. "I hope you're ready for all this. It's like this all the time."

I put on my best smile and said, "I'll do the best I can, Edward. That's all I can do."

He glanced over at me and replied, "If you smile like that all the time, you won't have any problems, baby."

I'm pretty sure I melted every time he called me 'baby.' I couldn't ever recall another man calling me that. Mike's favorite terms had been 'bitch' and 'stupid bitch'. Jacob, well, I refused to even think about that.

Edward approached the truck where the car would be safely stowed and we got out and stretched. Edward came to the other side of the car and took my hand as we made our way towards the throngs of fans, photographers, and reporters. Several members of Edward's security team appeared seemingly out of nowhere and escorted us.

As we approached them, the fans all started screaming. I was suddenly thankful for the barriers between us and them. The security team more or less encircled us and kept people from crossing the barrier. Edward moved along the makeshift fence and shook hands with several people, stopping a few times to grant an autograph. The photographers were snapping pictures continuously and the reporters started shouting questions.

"Who is your friend? Is this your new love interest? Where is she from? Who is she? Where did you meet? How did you meet?"

I was totally overwhelmed. I wondered how Edward dealt with all that, but he took it completely in stride. I felt the blush creep across my face when Edward introduced me.

"I'm just going to make a brief statement and I'm sorry, but I don't have time to answer a lot of questions. My assistant will be happy to send all of you a press release as soon as it's ready. For now, what you all need to know is that this is Bella Swan, my girlfriend. We met a few months ago, but kept our relationship under wraps. We'd prefer as much privacy as possible as we get to know each other better. Bella isn't used to a public life and I'd like to keep her out of the spotlight as much as possible. I know that all of you and the fans are going to be curious so we will provide as much information as we deem necessary at this time, but beyond that, we would prefer she be left alone. She won't be making a statement today, so please don't ask. I hope that everyone here who wanted tickets to the show got them and if not, please join us in LA day after tomorrow. So far, the shows on this tour have been wildly successful and we look forward to more successful shows, including the one tonight. Please remember that the proceeds from tonight's show are going to "Save the Music." I know you all have questions, but unfortunately, it's time for us to go get ready for the show. Thank you all for being here."

Edward waved and squeezed my hand so I waved too, and then he turned and led me away, the bodyguards surrounding us and making sure none of the reporters got through. They were all yelling questions after us, but Edward told me just to keep walking and not to worry about them.

I. Was. Terrified. I had seen things like that on television, but I never really thought about them happening in real life, and certainly not to me. When we got back to the bus, I was nearly in a state of panic and almost hyperventilated. Edward moved aside and let me walk onto the bus first. He followed me inside and grabbed me.

"Bella? Bella, are you okay? Talk to me."

I turned and looked at him, unable to hide the tears in my eyes. "I'm sorry, Edward. That was just… scary as hell. I'm not one for being the center of attention and that was just… overwhelming."

He pulled me into an embrace and brushed my hair back from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I put my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Shhh, Bella, it's okay. It's all over for now. I know it's frightening, but I pay those bodyguards an exorbitant amount money to ensure both mine and your safety, as well as all the rest of my people, including Abby. Don't be scared, Bella. You did great."

I attempted to calm myself down and as I did, I looked up into Edward's face to see him smiling down at me. "Is this really how it is all the time?"

"Unfortunately, yeah, it is. Do you want to go home now?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No, Edward, I don't want to go home. I'm sorry I freaked out."

"It's alright, baby. I understand that it's overwhelming."

We talked a little more before we headed to the bedroom to start getting ready for the show. I was unprepared for what greeted me when we walked in. On the bed were several sacks and garment bags full of clothes, shoes, bras, panties, everything I could ever imagine needing. There was even lingerie that made me blush when I opened the bag.

"Edward? Where did all this come from?"

He smiled. "Well, technically it's from me, but Rhianne made all the arrangements, of course."

I looked at the names on the sacks and was amazed. I wasn't sure that I could keep all of it. Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Sak's, Burberry, Versace… it was a wardrobe that even Alice would be proud of. My eyes found their way to Edward's face, who was smiling at me with apprehension. "I hope it's okay, Bella… I just wanted you to have more than a couple of outfits to wear… if you don't want…"

"Edward, shut up. I love it. I love it all. Thank you, really. I'm just overwhelmed. These aren't the stores that I usually shop in, unless I'm shopping with Alice and Rosalie."

"If there's anything that you don't like or that doesn't fit, we can return it."

I hugged him and kissed him. What else could I do? He was amazing, and I told him so. "You're amazing, Edward, you know that?"

"No, Bella. You're the amazing one. Now… pick something out to wear!" He gestured at the plethora of items strewn on the bed and I giggled. I didn't even know where to start, but Rhianne had done a beautiful job of picking out things that I would like. All of the items I found in the various garment bags and sacks and boxes were things that I would actually wear. They were all sensible, yet beautiful.

After perusing the collection for several minutes, hanging up the items that needed to be hung, stashing several shoe boxes in the closet, I chose a beautiful sapphire blue dress that was fitted on top and full in the skirt. It fell to my mid thigh and showed off my legs rather well. It was cut low enough on top to show some cleavage, but not so low that I was uncomfortable wearing it. There were even matching shoes and a sapphire blue bra and panty set that matched. In fact, it seemed that there were matching shoes and lingerie for nearly every outfit Rhianne had purchased for me. I took a picture of myself in front of the full mirror and texted it to Alice who immediately replied with, _"Perfect!"_ I wondered if she thought I had picked the outfit out myself. I smiled and exited the bedroom to find Edward dressed in his usual black t-shirt, jeans, and custom made Adidas, sitting on the sofa facing the bedroom, one leg on the floor and one leg stretched along the back.

_God… he looks good enough to eat. Focus, Bella. He's got to do his show…_

As soon as I walked in, he eyed me appreciatively. "Well, don't you just look fucking amazing, as usual?"

I smiled and twirled around. "Is it too much? I can go change…"

Before all the words had left my mouth, he stood, crossed the floor, took me in his arms, and pressed his lips against mine. "Just fucking perfect," he murmured against my mouth.

I heard and felt him inhale deeply as he kissed his way across my jaw to the hollow behind my ear. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, taking in his scent as well. I wondered how long I was going to be able to resist him.

A need for his body was overwhelming my desire to do the relationship right. Every time he was in close proximity to me, I began to have fantasies of his lips on my breasts, his tongue teasing my nipples, his hands roaming over my naked body, his hard, and seemingly quite massive, dick entering my most secret chamber, tasting myself on his lips…

"Are you ready to go, Bella?" Edward's voice ripped me from my fantasies and I blinked at him.

"Go? Er, um, yes, ready to go."

"Are you alright?" I noticed him adjusting his jeans when he asked. Not. Helping. I stared at the obvious bulge in his pants.

"Bella?"

I jerked my head up to look at his face and saw that he was smirking. _Fucking busted. Damn it, Swan. Get your shit together._

"Sorry, I got… distracted. I'm ready."

Edward pulled me into his arms again and pressed his hardness against my belly. "How long are we going to be able to keep up this charade of doing the right thing, Bella?" His voice sounded so innocent when he asked, yet full of desire.

I snaked my arms up his chest and into his perfect sex hair, pulling him to me for a kiss. "I don't know, Edward. My resolve is failing."

He chuckled and held me tight. I nuzzled my head into his chest and let my arms drop down to wrap around his waist. We stood like that until there was a rap at the door.

"Um, are you guys decent in there?" It sounded like Chris.

"Yeah, man, we're decent. Just procrastinating. Come on in."

Edward and I parted and held hands when Chris walked on to the bus. He looked at us both and I know that I flushed from head to toe. "I know you all are busy playing 'Getting To Know You' in here, but, uh, may I remind you that we have around 1,200 people who paid a _ton_ of money for their tickets to this show? Time to get to work, man. Sorry, Bella, no offence."

"None taken, Chris. Thank you for bring us back to reality. We may have both chosen to live in a fantasy world all night otherwise." I giggled and Edward rolled his eyes.

We headed off the bus and into the Fillmore for an intimate show with 1,200 of Edward's closest friends. It was, as always, amazing. It was even better, in some ways, than the bigger shows had been. The crowd was smaller, but much more involved in the show. I recognized the contingent that called themselves "Velvet's Vixens" in the first couple of rows and wondered how they always managed to get such good tickets, but mostly I wondered how they could afford to get such good tickets for so many shows, particularly this one. I had heard talk that the tickets for this show were about a grand each because of the proceeds going to the "Save the Music" charity. I noticed several MTV cameras around throughout the night and tried to avoid them.

That particular twenty-four hours seemed to be a turning point in our relationship. We both learned that the other was almost uncontrollably attracted to the other, and we both learned that we were both trying like hell to 'do it right' this time around. We also both realized that being together felt natural. There were no uncomfortable silences between us. When we needed to talk, the words came. When we needed to support one another, we didn't have to ask, we just did what came naturally. Even though our entire relationship seemed fated to happen, it was the first time that we both realized that fated or not, we both wanted the relationship, badly.

That night, after the show, after the after-party, and the after the after-party after-party, we snuggled into bed together, both exhausted, both exhilarated, and both one hundred percent in love with each other. We didn't know what was to come, but we knew that whatever it was, we were both determined to face it together.

**_End Note: OK! It's off to LA and then San Diego. Hope all of you San Fran girls enjoyed the show. (Please know that Edward fronted the $1,000 a piece for tickets for you ladies who live in the San Fran area and REVIEW!) Speaking of reviews... Let's get rolling on them people! You might be surprised at what happens when we hit 1,000 reviews... just sayin'. VIP tickets to all who review, of course, and occassionally, your way too busy author will grace you with a reply, but if she doesn't please don't be offended. I read and LOVE every single one!_**


	16. Decompensate

**_A/N This chapter was really fun to write. I hope you all enjoy it. It's a bit... intense... in areas. :) I've found myself in a quandary over the theme song for the chapter, but I've decided on "Same Song & Dance" by Eminem, although "Bitch Please II" was a VERY close 2nd. Feel free to listen to both songs while reading the chapter... but wait until after the beginning part. You'll know when to start. LOL_**

**_Many many thanks to Lillie Cullen. Never doubt that you're needed BB, and for much more than just beta'ing my chapters. ;)_**

**_You can now follow me on Twitter. www (dot) twitter (dot) com / JuJuRN40 A link to the Secret Twilight Garden Blog is on my profile there and I send updates about the progress of chapters and other fun stuff. Hope to see you there!_**

_Obligatory Disclaimer: All hail Stephenie Meyer who owns all things Twilight. I own four televisions that I can't remember how to operate since my Twilight obsession. _

_**Edward**_

The morning after the San Francisco show was busy. All the partying the night before had taken its toll and I was hungover, feeling shitty, horny as fuck, and just really wanting to be alone with Bella. Instead, as we arrived in LA, I had to get up and dress for an appearance at a radio station on one of the early morning shows.

I awakened before the alarm on my phone went off, thank God, and spent some quality time looking down at Bella's head on my shoulder. Her arm was curled around my belly and she had one leg thrown across my legs. All of that would have been just spectacular in and of itself, but she also had her hot crotch pressed into my thigh. My morning wood was straining and bobbing, begging to be released from its confines. She was obviously still sound asleep and dreaming as she murmured, "Oh, Edward," into my shoulder.

_Fuck. Why is it again that we're resisting each other?_

I tried to lay still and not molest her as she ground her pussy into my thigh. I didn't know whether to say thanks that she had on those fucking hot panties or curse their existence. I reached over with my free hand and grabbed my phone off the shelf next to the bed, turning it off before the fucking alarm woke her up from her bliss.

"Mmmmm, oh yeah…" fell from her lips and my cock pulsed, reminding me of its existence, and its neglected state.

"Edward, please?" she begged in her sleep.

The knot in my stomach tightened and I grasped the sheet with my free hand.

_What could she be begging for? Doesn't she know there's nothing I would deny her?_

She ground herself against me again, harder this time. My chest felt tight and I couldn't breathe. I wanted her so fucking bad. I struggled with wanting to wake her up and make her dream come true. Her grinding on my thigh became more insistent and I realized from the sounds she was making that she was going to come.

_Holy fucking hell! She's having a wet fucking dream?!_

Bella's arm and leg tightened around me and she rubbed herself hard against my leg. I let go of a modicum of control and allowed my thigh to press into her. She moaned freely and her whole body shuddered.

"Ah, ah, ah," she cried, clamping her leg down on my legs and rubbing herself on me.

Jesus Christ, that was the sweetest sound in the universe. I had been able to feel that her panties were soaked for some time, but now I felt her juices coating my thigh. I closed my eyes and listened to her ragged breathing while feeling her hold on me loosen. I re-opened my eyes and looked at her angelic face, a light sheen of sweat on her brow. She had fallen back into a deep sleep and I knew that I had to get up. As much as I wanted to just lay there and bask in what had just happened, I couldn't.

I kissed the top of her head and slid out of bed carefully, attempting not to wake her. She sighed and seemed to be looking for my body so I placed a pillow under her arm. She pulled it close and stilled. I watched her sleep for one more minute before I turned sadly and went into the bathroom. At least I had the presence of mind to get my clothes out before I had gone to bed.

I stepped into the shower wondering how long she would sleep. The hot water ran over my body and I closed my eyes while I washed my hair and thought about Bella's dream. My cock, which had taken the position of being permanently semi-hard or hard when I was around Bella, was hard enough to shatter the shower door with if I hit it just right. I started soaping up my body and thought back to Bella lying in my bed, just feet away. I had to have some release. How would I be able to concentrate on the interviews and meetings I had to do today with my dick straining in my pants and distracting me all day long?

I ran my right hand down and grasped my cock squeezing it lightly, then slid my wet, soapy, slick hand- _just like Bella is right now_- over the shaft. My knees nearly gave out just from the contact. I braced myself against the back of the shower with my left hand, closed my eyes, and pictured Bella naked before me. It was her hand on me. Her eyes on me. Her lips on me. I tightened my grip on my cock and stroked up the shaft, turning my palm over the sensitive head, and stroking back down. I thought about Bella, so beautiful, so vibrant, so shy, so sexy. I found myself pounding my cock faster and harder than I really even wanted to. My mouth opened involuntarily and I stifled a moan as I pictured my cock sinking into Bella's beautiful body, filling her completely and making her shudder and moan beneath me. My balls clenched and I could feel the pressure of my orgasm building to a frenzied state. The coil in my gut tightened almost painfully before my release suddenly washed over me with a fury and my seed spewed out and hit the shower wall. I squeezed and stroked my shaft long and hard until I was completely spent and began to soften. My knees felt weak from the powerful orgasm combined with the mental images and the emotions I was feeling.

I stood under the cooling water for a moment to catch my breath and realized that I had no idea what time it was or how long I had been there... or how noisy I had been. I quickly washed the evidence of my moment of weakness off the wall of the shower and made sure it was all washed down the drain. What would Bella think of me if she saw _that_ in the shower?

I stepped out and dried off quickly while listening for signs of Bella being awake. I couldn't hear anything except the engine of the bus and the tires moving over the road so after dressing and brushing my teeth, running my fingers through my wet hair, and taking one peek in the mirror to make sure I looked okay, I braved stepping back into the bedroom. Thankfully, Bella was still fast asleep on the bed.

I quietly slipped out of the bedroom and into the main compartment of the bus. The driver acknowledged me with a wave as I opened the fridge and grabbed the orange juice. I also dug around in the cabinets and found a bottle of Tylenol. I definitely needed a couple of those. As soon as I turned my phone back on, Rhianne was calling.

"Edward? You remembered the radio show, right?"

"Yeah, I'm ready."

"Okay, we should be there in ten minutes. You realize that you have a day full of appearances and meetings today, don't you?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Is there something special you'd like for Bella to do today?"

"Maybe she and Abby could go shopping on Rodeo Drive or something."

"Perfect. I'll get that organized for you."

"Rhianne?"

"Yes?"

"I don't tell you thank you often enough."

She chuckled. "It's okay, Edward. My job is to make your life easier and I enjoy it. Oh, and by the way, Paul is meeting you at the studio. I thought you'd want to know."

"Great. Thanks for the warning." Rhianne knew that I wasn't particularly happy with Paul, my manager, but that because of a contractual agreement, I had to keep him on as long as I was with my current label. He and I had never really gotten along well, but he was the best in the business, supposedly. When you are new to the business, there's a lot of shit that people tell you that turns out to be bullshit later, but I suppose that's how everyone learns.

"See you in a few."

"Yeah, see ya."

I sat down with my glass of orange juice and contemplated the day ahead. I hoped that I had remembered to tell Bella that I was going to be busy all day. I decided to write her a quick note, on the off chance that in my state of drunkenness the night before, I had forgotten to warn her. It didn't even cross my mind that Rhianne was probably briefing her every day just as she did me.

_Hey, Bella, Hope you slept well. I don't remember if I told you that I have a ton of things scheduled for today. Rhianne is arranging for you and Abby to go shopping on Rodeo Drive. She'll give you one of my credit cards. Don't be afraid to use it for both of you. Love, Edward._

I left the note on the table and headed for the door. The bus stopped just as I arrived there. Rhianne and three bodyguards approached as soon as the door opened. One bodyguard got on the bus with Bella and the other two walked behind Rhianne and me. I turned and gave the bus a last look as it pulled away. It was the first time in five days that Bella and I had been apart. I felt sad and empty as the bus drove away and I was left to myself.

I did the radio show and afterwards a limo picked us up. Rhianne was on her phone almost constantly doing what she does.

I stared out the window as we drove to the studio where I would pay homage to the executive producers and the studio president, or as I referred to them, the studio gods. I would be glad when my shitty contract with that studio was up and I could put albums out on my own label. I hated my manager for the contract he'd insisted I sign with them. The good news was, it would be over soon, and then I could do as I pleased. I was only obligated to cut one more album with that stupid studio and with any luck, it would be a greatest hits album which would keep me mostly out of the studio and allow me to save the new songs I was working on for my own album.

I planned to form my own label so I could be in control of a bigger share of my life, cutting down on the travel needed when I was recording, as well as being able to promote other acts that I discovered along the way. I would make sure that the bullshit that had happened to me in the early years of my career wouldn't happen to any artist that I promoted. Why shouldn't music artists be their own executive producer? Movie stars do that shit all the time.

We arrived at the corporate office of the record label and as per usual, Paul was late.

_Why is it again that I need a fucking manager if he's always going to be late and have me sign shitty contracts?_

Rhianne and I waited in the lobby and about ten minutes later, his car arrived. I was skeptical of his arrival in a limo. Shouldn't he be driving himself? I should be making more money than him, right? I rolled my eyes when he actually waited for the chauffer to open his door. _Self-righteous prick._

I strode out to meet him and shook his hand. "Hey, Paul. What's up?"

"Well, Edward, not much… except THIS!" He shoved a copy of the _Los Angeles Times_ in my chest and stormed into the building.

I pulled the paper out and glanced at Rhianne before looking to see what had Paul so upset. As we walked into the door of the building behind him, I saw what it was. "Superstar Rap Artist EC Velvet Introduces New Love Interest." I skimmed through the article quickly as I walked along beside Rhianne and behind Paul who stopped and punched the button to go up on the elevator and turned to me angrily.

"You could have told me about this shit before you just go off dipping your wick into some new chick, Edward. It was one thing to have a 'mystery woman' seen with you, it's quite another to introduce her as your fucking girlfriend. Now I have to deal with the aftermath!"

I sighed and handed the paper to Rhianne. "You don't have to deal with anything," I said, as we stepped into the elevator.

"Edward, you don't even _know_ what kinds of things I have to deal with for you! Everything you do is front-page news. I'm the one that has to pick up the pieces of the messes you make!"

Now he was pissing me off. I rarely, if ever, made messes. Okay, so my marriage and subsequent divorce was a mess. I hadn't done a damn thing since then to warrant this assault on my character. Maybe I drank a little, but I wasn't a fucking drunk. I didn't do drugs. I didn't bang groupies four at a time. I didn't get involved in street gang violence. I didn't take beefs with other rappers seriously. I wasn't involved in a bunch of stupid lawsuits. I was practically the Eagle Scout of the rap world!

"What the fuck have I done that's so terrible, Paul? Seriously?! I try to live my life the right way. I got divorced. So fucking what! That was a year ago! I went to court to get custody of my daughter from my strung out ex wife. What the fuck's wrong with that? I haven't had a girlfriend in over a year and my sex life is none of your fucking business! Aren't I entitled to SOME happiness?" By the time I was done, I was yelling. Loudly. I was a little embarrassed when the elevator door opened and the receptionist was staring at us from her desk in front of the elevator.

"Now, Edward, there's no need to get upset," Paul said while walking towards the receptionist's desk.

"Upset, my _ass!_" I retorted.

Rhianne patted me on the back and looked at me sympathetically. By then I was so pissed off that I didn't want her sympathy. I didn't want anything but to be left the hell alone.

We walked into the meeting with the executive producers and the president of the label and that's when the icing on the cake started melting and drizzling all over the fucking floor. My cell phone buzzed and I glanced at it absent-mindedly when I reached to hit the ignore button, but it was my attorney. _Fuck._

"Um, guys, I'm really sorry, but I have to take this call. I'm just gonna step out here in the hall for a minute," I said as I answered the phone. They all nodded to me while I walked out into the hallway to find out what news the blood-sucking lawyer had for me.

It was about Tanya, of course. What the fuck else would it be about? Apparently, she had been harassing my mother, my father at work, my attorney, stalking my house, and had managed to get herself busted for possession with intent to sell cocaine a block from my house, as well as solicitation in the same location. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

"Is she at least in fucking jail?" I asked incredulously after hearing the whole story. _And why the HELL didn't my mother CALL me?_

"Wow, really? Are you sure it was $500,000 bond and not $50,000? Good. Maybe the bitch will sit in there for a while."

After I hung up, I stood in the deserted hallway for a moment contemplating all I had just been told. Weren't there people that I paid well to protect me from this kind of shit? Oh yeah. Most of them were sitting in that room.

I stormed back through the doorway and took my seat at the table, glaring around the room at everyone except Rhianne. She was one person that I couldn't find fault with. She had brought my angel to me. The rest of them could go to hell as far as I was concerned. I knew that the only reason Paul had wanted me here was to try to negotiate another shitty contract to tack on to the end of my current shitty contract and it wasn't happening. Especially not today. Over my dead fucking body was I signing with the label again.

"Edward? Are you okay?"

Leave it to Rhianne to be the only person capable of paying attention and reading me.

"No, I'm not fucking okay. I'm a long fucking ways from okay." I stood up and starting pacing around the room as I raved at all the assholes in that room that were rich because of me.

"I just got off the phone with my attorney back in Chicago. It seems my fucking _cunt _of an ex-wife has been harassing my mother, harassing my father at the _hospital_, stalking my house, harassing my attorney, and selling fucking cocaine and her body, apparently, a block from MY FUCKING HOUSE! Isn't there ANYONE looking out for EDWARD in all this fucking mess? Anyone BESIDES Rhianne? Because I'm telling all of you assholes right now that this is un-fucking-acceptable. There has GOT to be something someone can do to help me out here. The cunt is in jail right now. Can this big," I waved my arms around, "corporate cluster-fuck do anything for me besides make me beg for every goddamn cent I EARN?!?" I slammed my fist down on the table for effect and looked around at the horrified faces.

Paul was the first to speak. "Now, Edward, you're upset."

"I'm upset? Upset. That's what you call this? Upset? How. Fucking. DARE. You. You think this is just 'upset,' Paul? This is WAY FUCKING BEYOND UPSET!"

He reached over to grab my arm and before I could stop it, my fist was drawn back. "Don't fucking touch me, you asshole, or I swear to God I'll knock you the fuck OUT!"

He pulled his hand back quickly. I was way out of control and I knew it. I dropped my fist and took a shaky breath. I looked around at everyone and said, "I'm sorry. This just isn't a good day for me to be here. If there are any contract negotiations that anyone has planned for today, forget it. I'm leaving. I can't deal with this shit right now." And that was that. I walked out the door leaving a stone silent room behind me.

I reached the elevator and punched the down button at least twenty-five times before I realized that it wasn't going to make the elevator come any faster. As soon as the door opened, I was inside and hit the 'one' button with my fist. The sooner I was out of that hellhole the better. Rhianne slid through the doors just as they were about to close.

"Edward, you really need to calm down. I know you don't want to hear that right now… but you know you need to."

I stared at the ceiling of the elevator breathing heavily. She was right. I knew she was right. But, I did have a wee bit of an anger management problem. I had worked hard for years to keep it under wraps, but this was just too much.

The elevator dinged as it reached the first floor and the doors opened. Great. A whole fucking lobby full of photographers and reporters. Fuck. Them.

I stomped out of the elevator right past them and into the street. Fortunately, Rhianne had already called for our car and it was parked out front. The bodyguards exited the next elevator right behind us and started pushing the stupid paparazzi out of the way to catch up to me. Frankly, I didn't even care that I was essentially alone in that mess. I just wanted the hell out of there. I yanked open the door of the limo, jumped in, and started digging around in the wet bar for something to drink.

Rhianne clucked her tongue when she climbed in and I glared at her. She picked up her phone and acted like she was reading email or something. I poured myself some scotch that I found in the limo and clunked a couple of chunks of ice into my glass. I downed it quickly and pulled my phone back out of my pocket while pouring the second glass. I punched up the speed dial number for my mom and downed my second glass of scotch before pouring the third. Rhianne was looking at me with deep concern now. I knew that I was drinking way too much way too fast on a very empty stomach, but frankly, I didn't give a flying fuck at that particular moment in time.

"Mom? What the fuck? Why didn't you tell me about this bullshit that Tanya's been pulling? Do I need to hire you a bodyguard, too? Dad?"

"Edward! I didn't want to bother you. Watch your mouth. Where's Abby?"

"She's shopping with Bella, I presume. I just got a helluva phone call from my attorney, Mom. What the hell's going on?" I downed the third glass of scotch and Rhianne yanked the glass out of my hand. I shrugged, picked up the bottle, and took a nice big swig. Rhianne pried the bottle, which had been full when I started, but was now about two-thirds empty, out of my hand while I listened to my mother tell me horror stories about Tanya. It seems she had been calling the house repeatedly, banging on the door at all hours of the night, screaming in the front yard, showing up at the hospital where my father works and making a total and complete ass of herself the last couple of days. I was, in a word, appalled.

"Mom, why the hell didn't you tell me? I could have done something!"

"It's handled, Edward. I didn't want you to worry."

"That bitch is crazy. She could have shot you or something. Goddammit, don't you EVER keep something like that from me again!"

"Edward."

"What?"

Silence. Fuck.

"I'm sorry for the language, Mom, but please, if she gets out of jail, and anything else happens, I want to know about it, okay?"

The booze was starting to hit me and I leaned back in the seat, only relaxing slightly. It was a good thing I wasn't a mean drunk.

"Alright, Edward. Even though you don't need those kinds of things on your mind right now, I'll let you know if anything else happens."

"Thank you."

"How's Abigail?"

"Doing great. She really likessss Bella."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Uh, nossing." _Shit, am I slurring? Fuck._ "I gotta go. Call you later?"

"Alright, Edward. I love you."

"Love you, thoo, Mom."

I hung up before the words could get any more fucked up and slurred. _Fuck. Now what did I do? Now I'm fucking pissed off AND drunk._ I looked at Rhianne who peered at me over her phone.

"Happy now?" she asked sarcastically.

"Fuck you."

She shook her head at me. "You need food and a nap."

"I'm shory."

My eyes were falling closed and I saw her roll hers. "I know, Edward. I know."

It was a good thing we didn't have a show that night. When I awakened, it was late in the afternoon, towards evening. My head was pounding and I rolled over to look at the clock. I noted a big glass of water and two Tylenol lying next to it. The clock had been unplugged. I reached for my phone, but found that I was no longer wearing my clothes. I was in my boxers. I blinked and looked around the room. It was empty. The door was closed. I sat up and groaned before reaching for the water and the Tylenol. The first thought that came to my mind was how bad I might have fucked things up with Bella and whether she had left to go back to Seattle yet or not. I didn't remember seeing her all day, but as much scotch as I had consumed that morning, nothing would surprise me. The door opened and I looked over to see the very person I had feared lost peeking in at me.

"You awake?"

"Unfortunately."

She giggled. Giggled. How could she be giggling? I had to have been a complete asshole.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked as she sat down next to me on the bed.

"I don't know why you're still here. I really lost it earlier and I'm sure I was a prick to you."

"You weren't a prick to me, Edward, but you do owe Rhianne an apology. And maybe your mother, too. You were too out of it by the time I saw you to be anything to me but drunk and passed out."

She stroked my back while she talked to me. I didn't feel deserving of her love and affection. I felt a sob rip out of my throat and before I could stop myself, I was full out crying. Fucking crying. _Why am I acting like an emotional teenaged girl with PMS today?_

Bella scooted herself up on the bed and pulled me to her, holding me while I cried. I didn't even know what the hell I was crying about. I was just crying. Sobbing. I must have cried every tear that I had denied myself for my entire life right then. My body heaved with my sobs and the tears spilled down my face, staining Bella's blouse. She just sat there, holding me, silently.

Finally, I pulled my shit together. Bella handed me some tissues and I thanked her quietly while I wiped my eyes and blew my nose. _Well, if that isn't just fucking sexy, Cullen._

I tossed the tissue and went into the bathroom to splash some water on my face, brush my teeth, wash my hands, and stare at myself in the mirror. I was a mess. I had dark circles under my eyes and looked a wreck. Bella walked into the small bathroom and wrapped her arms around my bare waist, laying her head on my back. I stood there, not quite knowing what to do. I still felt like an asshole, even if I had been passed out when she saw me. In fact, I felt more like an asshole knowing that.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Yeah," I grunted back at her.

"I love you. Nothing you can do or say can ever change that now. There's nothing in your life that I don't want to share with you. Please, just let me in, Edward. I want to love you and take care of you. I want to be the one you depend on when days get rough. I want to be your safe place in the storm, if you'll let me."

**_End Note: _****_Edward has asked me to inform everyone that I'm going on vacation next week so there may or may not be an update next week. If I don't have time to finish the next chapter and update while I'm gone, I will as soon as I return. He's a little pissy about it because he's still getting cockblocked, but he'll get over it. Hey, at least he got "Edward's Happy Time" in the shower this chapter, right? And... that's worth a review... right? Right!?_**

**_So, we've got the LA show coming up next chapter... had to split this one into two so that I could post in a timely fashion... then San Diego, and after that we're headed to Phoenix. Don't forget that all reviewers get free VIP passes, and can join Velvet's Vixens if they so desire. Lots of spectacular shit can go down if we get inundated with reviews... just sayin'. _**


	17. Redeemed

_**PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Several readers have voiced concern regarding Edward's drinking in this story. First of all, he's a fictional rap superstar. I think that even the real ones have a tendency to overdo their "substance of choice" on occasion. Secondly, I promise that this Edward is not an alcoholic. He isn't going to do anything that will put Abby in danger or put his custody of her in danger. It's part of the reason why he has a nanny. I do thank all of you that have mentioned it for your concern. **_

**_A/N: My vacation was awesome. Thank you to all of you who wished me well and everyone who has remained patiently waiting for this update. It took a bit longer than expected, but had I just punched it out, it would have been sub-standard and I would have hated it. Good chapters, like good wine, take some time. Thanks also for all the reviews, fav adds, and story alerts. I've answered a few of the reviews since my vacation, but not all. Please know that I read and cherish each and every one and keep them coming._**

**_Lillie Cullen is the best freaking beta in the world. Period. Of course, I love her for much more than that. I think she knows why. :)_**

**_Amy and Militza - Thank you for all of your support and encouragement._**

**_Tammy - Thanks for happening to be the only one on line in that very important moment when I needed to know if I had the appropriate amount of hotness in a certain scene and giving me the "GAH" that made me smile knowingly and move forward._**

**_Please don't forget about the blogsite that I collaborate on. It's the Secret Twilight Garden. Link is on my profile. We've just completed our first one-shot contest and it was a lot of fun. Go read the one-shots that were entered. _**

**_Also, you can follow me on Twitter. www (dot) twitter (dot) com / JuJuRN40 I often post when I'm writing chapters, etc. Also, you can see what all silly things I have to say about life in general. _**

_Disclaimer: Don't own it. Not making money off it. SM rules._

_**Edward**_

My entire body was wracked with a sob as I stood there, unworthy of the love and affection that was being lavished on me by the beautiful woman standing behind me, holding me tightly, clinging to me.

"Please don't, Edward, please."

_Don't what? Don't cry? Don't feel guilty for being such a shit? Don't think that I should just send you home because I'm too much of a mess to be able to love you properly and take care of you in the manner in which you deserve to be cared for?_

"I don't deserve you," I choked out, finally.

Bella slid around and ducked her head under my arm, pushing herself between the sink and me. She reached up and took my head in her hands, bringing my lips down to meet hers. I closed my eyes and kissed her tenderly. The feel of her lips against mine caused the darkness in my mind to burst alight with joy and I was reminded of just how much I really did love her. She stopped kissing me and looked into my eyes. I looked down at her and could see the concern and love in her sparkling brown orbs.

"Edward, if you think you don't deserve me, then we are probably the two most undeserving people on the face of the planet. I don't deserve you either. I don't deserve Abby. I don't deserve to share in this crazy, yet beautiful lifestyle you have. The thing is, even though I don't deserve all that, I don't want to let it go just because of the bullshit in my past, and I don't think you do either."

I shook my head slowly. She was absolutely right. I didn't want to let it go. She was wrong about not being deserving of everything I had though, because she did deserve it. She deserved it all, and more.

"Bella, I… I acted like a total and complete asshole today. I melted down and threw a bitch fit in front of my manager, Rhianne, the record execs. Hell, I walked right out of that building and didn't give the photographers and fans that were gathered there the time of day. I disappointed myself with my behavior and lack of control. I'm embarrassed at how easily Tanya could make me lose it like that."

"Rhianne told me what happened and truthfully I understand. I really do. More than you can know. My guess is that you haven't let your anger where Tanya is concerned go, and Edward? That's not good for you and it's not good for Abby. You need stability in your life. You need someone you can depend on. I've told you. I want to be that someone. All you have to do is let me. I wanna take care of you, Edward."

I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head as I felt her arms slide around my waist and tighten. She leaned into me and I breathed in the scent of Bella. She smelled like strawberries and lilacs and freesia. "I love you," I murmured into her hair. "Thank you for being here today."

I meant it when I said thank you to her. Had she not been there when I awakened, I probably would have spiraled further down into my funk. I wouldn't have been determined to get up and face my demons, but with her there telling me and showing me how much she cared for me, I felt like I could go on and keep fighting. I felt like I could do what I had to do without falling apart and losing myself in the process. One thing was certain, Bella's presence grounded me somehow, gave me something solid to stand on and believe in, and I didn't want to screw that up because I needed it so very badly.

"Come on. I've got food out here for you and Rhianne is waiting to see you."

She led me out and into the main compartment of the bus where I realized that I had smelled the food, but at the time, I had been concentrating so hard on so many other things that it didn't register. Now, the aroma hit me full force and my stomach growled in appreciation of the home cooked meal that was pulled out of the oven and placed in front of me.

"Where did you get…?"

"I went shopping," she replied with a smirk.

I took a bite of the wonderful rosemary chicken and it practically melted in my mouth. I hadn't had a meal like this in a while. She placed a bottle of fancy water in front of me and ordered me to drink it.

Rhianne walked in and sat down across from me while Bella scooted in next to me. I looked up at Rhianne and she put her hand up.

"Don't, Edward. I already know you're sorry. Just listen, okay? We have some damage control to do here."

Rhianne went over the schedule for the next day, which would be the day of the concert. I would have to attend all the meetings and appearances that I missed after I had my fit. I would have to apologize to Paul and to the record execs for losing my temper. I would also have to get in touch with Seth and my attorney to see what the hell was going on in Chicago. It was stacked up to be a crazy day.

All I wanted to do was spend the day with Bella, but I knew that wasn't happening. Rhianne already had that covered too. She had planned for us to meet for lunch and then we would have a couple of hours before the show to hang out. The plans had been for all of us to stay in a hotel that night, but since I passed out on the bus, we all decided to stick with the tour busses. Mary and Abby were comfortably set with their own personal tour bus, the small one that met us in San Francisco. Everything had been thought of, naturally, because that's what makes Rhianne so good. She thinks of everything.

"There's one more thing, Edward." Rhianne looked at me, then Bella, then back at me.

"What?" I was confused. I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Bella's going to need an assistant of her own."

"What? I don't need an assistant, Rhianne. What do you mean?"

"Okay, let me put it this way. I need an assistant. I need to be able to care for both of you properly, and in order to do that, I need someone to help me. I've never asked you for anything, Edward, but I'm asking you for this. I need an assistant to help me with everything. Eventually, Bella's going to need an assistant, whether she thinks so now or not."

Bella and I regarded each other. I could see panic written all over her face. I turned back to Rhianne. "If you need help, Rhianne, that's fine. Just tell me what I need to do to make it happen, but I don't think Bella is ready for her own assistant just yet. Let's just let this person be your assistant and we can go from there."

"Thank you, Edward. I'll set things in motion to find someone who fits in with our way of doing things and let you know when I've found the right person, unless you'd like to conduct the interviews yourself?"

"Hell no. I trust you."

Rhianne smiled. "Thanks. Okay, plan for tonight… Abby's already in bed, so it's too late to see her. I think you probably need some rest, so there's nothing else unless you'd like a rehearsal."

"Yeah, rehearsal in, say, forty-five minutes? I'd like to talk to the guys anyway. There're a couple of things I'd like to change up in the show."

Rhianne took off to get the rehearsal set up and I finished eating the amazing dinner that Bella had made for me. Rosemary chicken, new potatoes with cream sauce, fresh steamed vegetables, fresh bread, a great fresh salad with a vinaigrette dressing, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream for desert. I stared at her.

"Pumpkin pie?"

Bella blushed. "Mary told me it was your favorite."

"Ahhhh, Mary, of course. She used to take almost as much care of me as she did Abby. My wife was a piece of shit, but you already knew that."

I ate two pieces of pie. And whipped cream. Lots of whipped cream. Then, I dipped my finger in the whipped cream and spread it on Bella's lips just so I could lick it off.

"Mmmm, I think I have a new favorite dessert," I said, licking my lips.

"Is that right?"

"Uh huh, it's Bella with whipped cream." I took her in my arms and kissed her softly. "Thank you, Bella. This was a wonderful meal, the likes of which I haven't had in I don't know when."

"You're welcome, Edward. You need to eat better. You eat far too much junk food." She smiled and slid onto my lap, weaving her fingers in my hair. "You can't let Tanya control you like that anymore. You know that, right?"

I tightened my grip on her but cocked my head to the side. "Control me?"

"Yeah. She who angers you, controls you," she said shrugging. "It's something I learned during my break up with Mike. I get upset with myself when I let him make me mad because I know that if he's making me mad, he's controlling me, again. He's getting exactly what he wants. So, I try to remember that everything he does is in an attempt to control me and that if I react to it, he's winning."

"How'd you get to be so wise?" I asked her, teasing her with my lips.

We necked for a while, quietly murmuring to one another, but before long, it was time for me to go to the rehearsal that I had asked for. I sighed when I had to release her so I could go.

"Can I watch?"

"Sure, Bella. Come on!"

*****

_**Bella**_

So, shopping on Rodeo Drive was SO not my thing. I went. Abby and Mary went with me. Three bodyguards followed us everywhere we went. It sucked ass. I finally panicked and called Alice to bail me out and said, "Okay, Alice. Need help here. I've got a fancy black credit card, Edward's daughter, and four hours to spend on Rodeo Drive. I have no fucking clue what I'm supposed to do here."

Of course, Alice pointed me in the right direction. I bought a pair of shoes, a couple of handbags, a bunch of clothes for Abby, a couple of outfits for myself, a bag for Mary, and found a highfalutin grocery store where I bought food to cook for Edward. His diet of Pop-Tarts, candy bars, and other various junk was getting to me. There was always perfectly good fruit and raw vegetables available to him in his dressing rooms at the shows, but he always seemed to gravitate towards the junk. Pop-Tarts and Toblerone did not a healthy man make. I was determined that I was going to help him out in the nutrition department.

The good news about the shopping trip was that Abby and I had a great time. She was able to walk most of the way and she held my hand almost exclusively, chattering away about everything and nothing the whole day. We ate ice cream sundaes together and it was then that I glimpsed the "too mature for her age" little girl again.

"Miss Bella?" she said, with a serious look on her face.

"What is it, Miss Abby?" I didn't know where she got the "Miss" from, but it was cute.

"You're gonna take care of my daddy, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, Abby. I love your daddy."

"I know, but you're gonna take care of him, right? Daddy's sad sometimes. He needs you to make him happy all the time again."

This four-year-old was obviously wise for her age. She also listened to and absorbed everything that was going on around her.

"I know daddy's sad sometimes. Sometimes being a grown up is hard. But, I promise, I'm going to do my best to make him happy, ok?"

"Okay, Miss Bella."

After that, she went back to eating her ice cream sundae and talking about things that any other normal four-year-old would talk about. She was an enigma. I'd never know how she got to be so smart at such a young age other than having to grow up way too fast.

Apparently, I was news. The damned paparazzi were snapping pictures of us everywhere we went. Every time I saw some jerk with a camera, I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore them. It didn't make them go away, but it always seemed like that was what all the stars did when the candid shots of them were taken when they were out shopping. I had no idea how to react to such things, so I pretended to know what I was doing. Fortunately, the three rather large bodyguards with us were imposing enough that no one approached us.

When we returned to the tour busses ensconced behind Staples Center, Rhianne met me. She shot a warning look at Mary who immediately took Abby to their bus for a nap.

"What's wrong, Rhianne?" I asked timidly, knowing something was terribly wrong by the look on her face.

"It's Edward." _Well now, that's just fucking informative, isn't it? _"I'm sorry, I would have called, but I felt it would be better to tell you what happened in person. Let's go in my bus and have some iced tea, okay?"

I had to admit, now I was worried. She didn't want to call me and she wanted me to sit down and have tea with her to tell me what happened. I was on pins and needles as we entered the other bus. A couple of the guys were lounging around watching television but Rhianne cleared them out. She poured me a glass of tea and sat down across from me, then clearing her throat, she proceeded to tell me all the lurid details of what had happened that morning.

To say that I was appalled at Edward's behavior was an understatement. Rhianne explained the situation to me and I understood his blow up, I understood why he was angry, I understood the whole thing. What I didn't understand was why he felt the need to immediately get drunk as hell and start being an asshole to those who cared about him the most, his mother and Rhianne. Really? What the fuck?

Rhianne and I talked for a couple of hours and I learned a lot more about Edward's divorce from Tanya and some of the shit she had pulled both on him and on Abby. I found out that Edward had told me a lot, but not nearly everything. Rhianne didn't even know all the details.

All I could think about was how all Edward needed was someone just to love him and not take advantage of him. Tanya had been his high school sweetheart, but with fame and fortune, she changed. She turned into someone who was power and money hungry and just wanted to use him for everything that he could give her in a material way. She didn't love him. I knew then that she could never have loved him the way I did, because even though I was pissed at him for getting drunk and acting like an ass, I felt a burning desire to take him in my arms and make it all better.

After our two-hour talk, I headed over to Edward's bus… our bus… to cook him supper and wait for him to wake up. I took him a glass of water and some Tylenol and while I was in the bedroom, I unplugged the clock and made sure the blackout shades were closed to keep out the light. He was sleeping hard, not even moving. I sat on the edge of the bed for a bit and watched him sleep, loving him more every moment I was there.

Later that evening, we went over to the Staples Center for his rehearsal. Sitting out front and watching Edward and the guys work up their show was great. It was a completely different take on things than being backstage. I wondered idly if it would be possible for me to be in the audience for a show, but realized it wouldn't work now that we had gone public.

After rehearsal, Edward and I went to bed. We talked while holding hands across the bed for a long time and it felt so nice. Later on, we cuddled up together. Edward's hands were roaming over my body and I felt electricity coursing through my veins from his touch. His hand brushed across my breast and I felt my nipple pebble instantly and wondered if he had felt it. He leaned over and crashed his lips against mine hungrily, running his tongue over my lips.

"Bella," he breathed.

"Yes, Edward?" I panted back.

"I want you so badly."

"Mmmm, me too."

"Why is it again that we haven't… explored more?"

"Because we just met."

"Oh, that's right."

His lips had continued their assault across my jaw, behind my ear, down my throat… across my collarbone…

"Edward?"

"Hmmmm?" He didn't stop; in fact, he had pushed his hands up under my shirt and was moving in towards second base. I found that my body was reacting, but there was a part of my mind that was screaming at me to stop.

Edward's hand met the flesh of my breast and his fingers brushed along the curve on the underside causing my entire body to flush in reaction. He leaned up and softly pressed his lips to mine as his thumb glanced across my hardened peak. I shuddered as his fingers gently pressed my flesh, kneaded and stroked my sensitive skin. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. His long fingers and strong hands felt exquisite against my skin and I pressed my body into his.

Edward's lips moved gently, but insistently, against mine while his tongue caressed my mouth, moving against my tongue as they intertwined. The words I had thought to speak were lost to me as I let my entire being be sucked into the ecstasy of Edward's mouth and hands on my body.

His lips moved across my jawline as his thumb and forefinger found the peak of my breast and squeezed it gently, rolling it between his fingers. I sighed and a shudder passed through me.

"You're so beautiful, Bella," he whispered in my ear before lightly kissing and sucking on the hollow behind it. I closed my eyes and let the sensations of his skin against mine take me away. His lips slowly made their way down my neck while he pushed my shirt up and moved his lips down to take the stiff peak of my breast in his mouth. I felt his tongue flick across my nipple and I sucked in a breath. The sensation was enhanced by the fact that the electricity from his tongue ran all the way through my body, amassing in my core.

Edward's hand left my other breast and traveled downward across my belly, caressing my skin the entire time. His mouth remained firmly planted on my breast and he nipped and nibbled on my peak while his hand inched lower and lower until he was at the waistband of my sleep shorts. Involuntarily, my body thrust towards him, needing him to keep going, wanting his touch, longing for the friction I so desperately needed. I moaned aloud.

I felt his hand, warm and insistent, on the outside of my shorts, pressed against my mound and I bucked against it. "Oh, Bella… Fuck." He leaned up and planted his lips on mine as his body rolled partially on top of me. His hand was pressing against my core and touching all the right places. I found myself wanting to be rid of my shorts. It didn't matter. He pulled his hand up and gently slid it beneath the waistband. He stopped and continued to kiss me as though waiting for a signal from me that it was okay to continue. I suppose that my fingers intertwined in his hair and pulling while I moaned into his kiss were signal enough and I felt his fingers slide down the cleft between my legs. I threw my leg up over his hip and ground my heel into his ass, urging him on.

When I felt one finger slide into me, I moaned loudly. He had the most beautiful, long fingers and Jesus Christ that one finger in me felt so fucking good. His thumb started making circles across my clit as he finger fucked me with one, and then two fingers. I could no longer remember why we were waiting. All I could feel was the pleasure and sublime friction against parts of me that had never been touched with as much loving devotion as they were being touched at that moment.

He used his hand expertly and before I could even think about what was happening, he brought me off. The orgasm I had from just his fingers inside me and his thumb on my clit was astounding. I lay there panting as he kissed me and moved my damp hair off my forehead.

"You're fucking amazing when you come, Isabella."

He'd never used my full name before and I looked up at him with surprise. Rather than questioning him, I simply said, "Why don't you let me return the favor, Mr. Velvet."

His expression changed infinitesimally, but I saw it. He broke into a smile and then looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, I was pushing…"

"Are you kidding? You're _sorry_? For _that_? Edward, that was the best orgasm I've ever had. Ever. Don't ever be fucking sorry for that! Now, are you gonna let me return the favor, or not?"

He kissed me and said, "Nope. It was all about you."

I tried. He denied me. Something about getting carried away and shouldn't have and wasn't letting me and… I don't know. The bottom line is he didn't let me return the favor that night.

I awakened the next morning feeling both closer to Edward and father away. I was terrified that I had let him go to far and screwed up everything. My fears were unfounded because just after I had begun to stretch and move around, Edward showed up in the bedroom with coffee and fruit for me. We sat and talked a few minutes while we drank coffee and ate the fruit. Soon, Edward had to leave and go to all those meetings and appearances he had missed the day before.

I spent most of the morning that morning alone. I sat with a legal pad and pen writing down my thoughts and feelings. I was worried, for some stupid assed reason, about why I was there with Edward. Was it the fame? The money? Was I using him? Was he using me? Of course, I found all of my worries to be hogwash. I loved Edward. I loved each part of him. I loved EC Velvet, I loved Edward, I loved Abby, and I was right where I wanted to be. With all that cleared up, I prepared to go to lunch with Edward that day and I was a woman of new found determination. A woman who wouldn't let anyone or anything come between me and the man I loved. I wasn't scared. I wasn't timid. I didn't care about the photographers or the press. All I cared about from that moment on was taking care of Edward and Abby and making their lives as easy and normal as possible. Of course, that's when the real trouble started.

**_End Note: Since Bella and Edward are lolly-gagging around in LA, I'm going to list the next several dates of the tour so you ladies can get your VIP passes ahead of time and be waiting in line to get in. Maybe you'll win a meet & greet... you just never know! Of course, the price of a VIP pass to an EC Velvet concert is a review so clicky on the button and show us the love! Edward, Bella, and I are waiting!_**

**_LA  
San Diego  
Phoenix  
Las Vegas  
Denver  
Dallas/Ft. Worth  
Houston  
New Orleans  
Shreveport  
Oklahoma City  
Little Rock_**


	18. Superstar

_**A/N As promised, new chapter came out quicker than the last! Yay! Edward totally cooperated with me this time. Maybe it's because I let him get his fingers sticky… hee hee. Ahem… sorry, I was daydreaming there for a minute. Anyway, please remember that the tour cities I gave in the last End Note were not all inclusive, they were just the next FEW. This is a worldwide tour, people. We're going EVERYWHERE. :)**_

_**My thanks to Miss Lillie Cullen for being a wonderful friend and beta who listens to all of my whining and loves me anyway. She also makes sure that my chapters don't suck so we should all bow down and worship her just like she deserves.**_

_**My thanks also to Miss Lillie Cullen for finding me an awesome chapter theme song. Superstar ~ Usher. Loves you H&R Lil!**_

_Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the lucky bitch that owns Twilight. Unfortunately, I'm the unlucky bitch who is owned by Edward. Okay, so maybe that's not so unlucky… I also don't own Usher or the song Superstar, or the lyrics to the song Superstar._

**Superstar ~ Usher**

_This is for you, my number one_

_Spotlights, big stage  
Fifty thousand fans screamin' in a rage  
Bodyguards and limousines  
This is the way I see you in my dreams  
Paparazzi flash, hundred pictures all of you  
Hangin' on my bedroom wall  
I'm a kid again, I feel like thirteen  
But I knew since we fell in love  
Girl I'd be_

_I'll be your groupie baby  
Cuz you are my superstar  
I'm your number one fan, give me your autograph  
Sign it right here on my heart  
Girl I'll be your groupie baby  
Cuz you are my superstar  
And as your number one fan  
I'll do all that I can  
To show you how super you are_

_Front row, there I am  
Jumpin' and hollerin' waving both hands  
Would you notice me, Little me  
Drove twelve hours girl just to see  
Your pretty face one more time  
Bought my ticket I was first in line  
This is a metaphor to show how I adore you  
Baby I do_

_Now you know how I feel  
You're truly special  
Your love is legendary to me  
Without you my life stands still  
I'll never leave your world  
Treat you like a diva girl  
Girl you're one of a kind  
Cuz they don't make 'em like you anymore  
So I'll be your fan for life  
I dedicate this to my superstar for all time._

_**Edward**_

Going back to the record label was humbling at best. I walked into the room with the execs and shook each of their hands in turn, apologizing for my outburst the prior day. I was pretty fuckin' embarrassed about it, even if they were a bunch of self-righteous assholes who didn't deserve my apologies.

Paul was a different story. He showed up to the meeting late after I had already apologized to everyone there. When he walked in, he regarded me briefly and nodded his head towards me, then proceeded to sit down at the table across from me. I glared at him for a minute or two while I listened to the execs spew their bullshit. He looked uncomfortable with my eyes on him. Good. Fucker could rot in hell as far as I was concerned.

Naturally, my predictions for the reasoning behind the big meeting were correct. They wanted me to sign a new contract. Paul even went so far as to try to shove the fucking thing down my throat.

"Edward, come on, you know this is the right thing to do. This label has always done right by you. You should go ahead and sign. It's a great contract, much better than the last one."

"I'm not signing it. Look, I realize that you guys would like to hold on to me. I'm probably your biggest earner. Okay, I know I'm your biggest earner, but I have to look out for myself. I have the potential to do so much more if I have my own label. I don't want anyone to feel like I'm putting the screws to them, but I'm ready to go out on my own. Four years of this is enough. When this contract ends, I want it to do just that. End. I want to be my own boss. I don't want to have to kiss anyone's ass anymore." I looked right at Paul on the ending statement to make sure he understood that this meant his shitty contract, too. He was living fat and sassy off the 20% he was getting off me. If he wasn't willing to renegotiate his contract with me at the end of its term, in six months, he wasn't going to be living off the EC Velvet cash cow anymore.

"Where are you going to find your booking agents and promoters if you don't have us?" Paul asked angrily.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Paul?" I tried to hold my anger and my tongue, but I could suddenly feel the anger bubbling up in me like a volcano on the verge of a cataclysmic eruption. "I haven't sat back and just let you do everything for me. I've taken the initiative to figure out some things on my own, you know."

"Have you been making deals behind my back?" he yelled, leaning forward.

I stood and glared at him across the table. "No, Paul. I haven't made any deals behind your back, but believe you me, if I knew it wouldn't be a breach of my contract with you, I would've. I could've made some pretty fucking sweet deals without you. Where're the endorsements you promised me? What about the merchandising? You could've done a better job, you know? Poor Rhianne is supposed to be my personal assistant, but she finds herself in the position of Road Manager every time we go on tour because you're too fucking cheap to insist that the label get me someone else to take the pressure off her."

I looked over at the record execs who were all sitting back in their chairs watching the fireworks for the second day in a row. Fortunately, I was keeping my voice down. Of course, anyone who knew me well knew that when I wasn't yelling was when you should watch the hell out because I could be fairly vicious and the lower my voice got and the harder you had to pay attention to hear me, the madder I was.

"Speaking of which, Rhianne either needs someone to take over as Road Manager or she needs an assistant. She can't keep up with it all. Someone in this room needs to fix that. Now."

Paul finally stood up and started around the table towards me. I crossed my arms and stared him down as he stepped dangerously near me.

"Edward, you've got a lot of goddamned demands all of a sudden. What the hell is wrong with you?" he shouted.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I simply want the things I deserve. If you can't do it, perhaps I should buy out your contract and find someone who can. Let's see, six months. I'm not planning on putting out another album in the next six months, so it should be fairly simple to figure out what it would take to buy you out. Rhianne?"

"On it, Edward," she answered quickly while tapping away at her laptop keys.

I turned back to the record execs. "Listen, I want my own label, but nobody's mentioned the fact that I could have my own label under your company. As soon as the tour is winding down, I'll have _someone_ get with you to see if you're interested in making my label one of your subsidiaries. I'm not dumb, I know that I need to be affiliated with one of the "Big Four" to do anything. It would be prudent of me to remain involved with the one who's been with me from the beginning, right?"

The president of the record company stood and walked over to me. He reached his hand out to shake mine. "I believe that's a very smart decision on your part, Edward. We'd be happy to look over your prospectus and see what we can do to strike a deal. In the meantime, go enjoy your tour and we'll make sure you have a proper Road Manager before the week is out." He nodded towards Paul and continued, "Is there anything else we can do to help you out today?"

"Nah, man, I'm good." I shook each of the record exec's hands again and started out the door. Rhianne slammed her laptop shut and followed me. Paul stood in the middle of the room looking quite confused. Rhianne and I were waiting for the elevator when he finally caught up to us.

"Look, Edward, I'm sorry. Let's, uh, have lunch and try to hash out some of our differences. I'm pretty sure we can make this arrangement work. I'll even renegotiate your contract now, if you like. It's not unheard of, you know."

My bodyguards tried to step between him and me, but I pushed them out of the way. "You're groveling now? Is that it?"

"No, I'm not groveling, I just realize that maybe I haven't been giving you the attention you deserve."

We all stepped on the elevator together. "Really, Paul? Is that what you think? When we get downstairs I wanna show you something and then we'll talk." He started to speak but I held up my hand to shut him up.

When we stepped off the elevator and out the front door of the building, there was a throng of photographers, reporters, and fans lining the sidewalk. I waved at them all, shook hands with several fans, granted a few autographs, put my arm around a few and posed for pictures, answered a few questions, smiled for the paparazzi, and when I was done, I stepped into my limo giving them all one last wave and smile before disappearing inside. Rhianne and Paul had already climbed inside and Paul was already holding a glass of scotch on the rocks in one hand, a big cigar in the other.

"Don't light that in my fucking limo," I grouched at him. He looked at the cigar and stuffed it in the pocket of his suit jacket. "You know I hate your goddamn stogies."

"I'm sorry, Edward. Force of habit."

"I don't care. Did you see that? Did you see all those fuckin' people out there? Were they there to see you, Paul? Were they?"

"No. They were there to see you."

"Fuckin' A right, they were there to see me. They don't even fuckin' know who you are, nor do they give a shit who you are. I want you to get one thing straight. Are you listening?" He nodded his head, nervously taking a drink from his glass. "I'm. Not. Renegotiating. My. Contract. With. YOU."

He sat quietly for a moment and then opened his mouth to speak. I held up my hand again. "There's nothing you can say that's going to change my mind. I'll finish out this contract with you, because that's the kind of guy I am, even though I know that Rhianne knows exactly how much it would cost to buy you out right now, because that's the kind of woman she is. However, I will be looking for a new manager. Know that. Also, during the next six months, I expect you to earn your 20% and not just sit back and collect it. It's the only chance you have of redeeming yourself so that I don't make sure you get blacklisted in the music business, got it?"

Paul nodded his head, took another sip of his scotch, and stared out the window. I felt relieved that it was over and picked up my phone to make some phone calls while we made the drive across town to the radio station I was appearing on.

I spoke first to my attorney back in Chicago. It seemed that Tan-ho was still in jail. Good. He had made some motions on my behalf that she not be allowed bail, which the judge accepted. She was now being held without bond. That was the best news of the day. He had also made a motion requesting that she be required to go to rehab as part of her sentence. She hadn't gone to trial yet, only an arraignment, so we didn't know yet whether that was going to be accepted by the judge, but the attorney felt pretty confident that the judge would insist upon it even if we didn't make the motion. He had also been in contact with Seth who had handed all of his evidence over and had been super-cooperative, just how I knew he would be.

Next, I called my mother. That was a conversation I wasn't looking forward to, but knew I had to make.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hello, Edward. Are you doing better today?"

"Yeah, actually. Hey, I just wanted to apologize for…"

"No apology necessary, Edward. Just don't drunk dial me anymore, please."

I stifled a chuckle. "I'm sorry, Mom. I won't. How's Dad?"

"He's here. Would you like to speak to him?" My mom was still pissed off at me. I could always tell. She'd get over it, but it would take her a while.

"Yeah, I'd love to. Love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Edward. Take care of Abby."

"I will"

"I know you will," she said before handing the phone to Carlisle.

"Having a rough go of it on the road, Son?"

"Nah, just a bad day yesterday, Dad. How are things?"

"Well, better now that Tanya is in jail. What on earth are you going to do about her? She's a complete _mess_, Edward. She has no business anywhere near Abigail."

"I know that, Dad. The attorney's working on it. Really. She's being held without bond thanks to my attorney so she's not coming out anytime soon."

"Do you have to bring Abigail home to visit her if she's still in jail?"

"You know, I didn't ask that, but I don't think so. I'd refuse anyway. Abby doesn't need to see her mother behind bars. She's been through enough. Besides, she's having a great time on the road."

"Is she getting enough rest?"

"Yes, Dad. She has her own coach with Mary. Yesterday she went shopping with Bella in LA. When we get to San Diego, we're going to the zoo. She's maintaining her schedule of sleep and everything is fine. At least she's eating meals now and not chips for supper."

"You've always been a good father, Edward. I'm proud of you for that. Make sure your drinking doesn't interfere with that."

It hit me hard when my dad said that. I knew better than to be around Abigail when I was drinking, but Carlisle telling me he was proud of me for being a good father, and then interjecting the part about my drinking, it cut me to the core. "I promise, Dad. It was just a bad day. I didn't handle it well. Drinking in that frame of mind was the last thing I should have done and I hurt a lot of people with my actions yesterday. It won't happen again, okay?"

"I trust you, Son. Now, I've got to get to the hospital. Did you want to talk to Mom again?"

"No, I think she's still pissed off at me."

He actually chuckled before saying, "Yeah, just a little. Maybe another day then?"

"Yeah, another day."

We said our goodbyes and I hung up as we arrived at the radio station. I did my thing there, and then it was time to meet Bella for lunch. We had a nice romantic lunch at a cozy restaurant on the beach. It had been closed down just for us to have lunch, which had really surprised Bella. I updated her on my morning's activities and she threw her arms around me. "I'm so proud of you, Edward."

I laughed and hugged her back. After lunch was over, we prepared to go our separate ways as I had an interview to attend before I could go back to spending time with Bella and Abby. As she started to leave, I held onto her hand. I didn't want her to go. "Bella, do you want to go with me?"

"If you want me to; all you have to do is ask."

"Come, please?" She smiled and nodded and we were off.

I knew, at some point during the day, Bella and I would have to broach the subject of what happened the night before in bed. She had taken me utterly by surprise when she called me 'Mr. Velvet' and it wasn't until then that I realized that she knew, at all times, exactly where and who I was within myself, even if I had deluded myself into believing that Bella had contained my Velvet side and sent it away.

We talked about other things on the way to my interview, successfully avoiding discussing what had occurred in our bed the night before in front of Rhianne, the bodyguards, and Paul, who was still tagging along for some reason. It was the most time he'd spent with me in a year.

During my interview taping, Bella sat behind the scenes watching everything with great interest. Rhianne sat with her and explained things to her so she would know what was going on. I was being interviewed for a DVD that would come out after the tour was over so it wasn't like it was going to be televised tomorrow or anything. When we were almost done, the interviewer finally asked me to talk about my personal life. I talked briefly about Abby, having custody of her, and having her on tour, and then I said, "But, I don't suppose my daughter is who you're really asking about."

The interviewer laughed and said, "Well, no, I was more interested in the young lady sitting over here behind the scenes."

I grinned over at Bella and motioned for her to join me on the set. At first, she shook her head, but then I saw Rhianne lean over and whisper something in her ear. She nodded, looked reluctantly at Rhianne, stood, and made her way over to me. I immediately pulled her into my lap and kissed her temple.

"This is my girlfriend, Bella. She's the one holding me together these days."

"Hi, Bella!" the interviewer said, reaching out to shake her hand. Bella shook it and I stroked her back to try to slow down the trembling.

"Hi," Bella answered, her voice trembling as much as her body was.

The interviewer turned her complete attention to Bella for a few minutes and I knew it was scaring the ever-lovin' shit out of her, but she did a great job. When the question of "How did the two of you meet?" came along. Bella looked over at me and giggled nervously. I decided to bail her out.

"The story of how Bella and I met is a long one that nobody would believe if we told it right now. I think we'll save that for a later time."

We wrapped up the interview and stood around talking to the director, interviewer, Paul, Rhianne, and some of the crew for several minutes. They all wanted to meet Bella. In fact, the director told her that he was really glad that I had met her because he'd never seen me look so relaxed. _Huh._ It kind of amazed me that someone else noticed that.

When we were finally done for the day, we headed back to Staples Center and to the buses. We played with Abby for a couple of hours and had a ball. I loved watching her interact with Bella. She was so comfortable with Bella and had seemingly accepted her into her life as though she would be there forever, which is exactly what I hoped for -- that Bella would be there forever. Through our letters, emails, phone calls, and finally meeting, I had become so attached and so dependent on Bella that I really couldn't imagine my life without her. In fact, she _was_ my life.

I watched Bella and Abby playing hopscotch on the pavement and hopped in the bus to grab a camera. I took several snapshots of them together and found it very satisfying to take pictures of the two of them. Rhianne came around the corner with a big box in her arms.

"Hey, Edward. Can I talk to Bella for a minute?"

"Of course you can. Hey, babe, can you come here for a sec?"

Bella took Abby's hand and they skipped over to where we stood, jumping on both feet to stop right next to me. We were all laughing. It felt fucking GREAT.

"Here, Bella, I have something for you," Rhianne said, handing Bella the box. Bella's eyes were wide and she looked at me before setting it on the table. I nodded at her to go ahead and open it. I watched with delight as Bella carefully opened the box that contained a new Pearl Adamo laptop by Dell with all the bells and whistles.

"Oh my… Rhianne? Edward? This is for me?" she squeaked.

Rhianne smiled and patted me on the shoulder. "Yes, Bella. We knew you left your laptop at home, thinking you wouldn't be gone long, yet here you are. Edward said it was a couple of years old and instructed me to order you a new one, even before we knew you'd be coming with us, so here it is. It finally caught up with us. Enjoy!" Rhianne left us there and Bella was like a kid at Christmas looking through the box with all the accessories and documentation for the new computer.

"You told her to order me this… the day we met?"

"Well, when I was in your bedroom last Saturday and saw your laptop. I wanted to make sure you had a reliable computer to talk to me while I was on tour that had a built in web-cam, but now it seems you need a reliable computer to keep in touch with your friends and family while you're on tour. Keep looking, there's more in the box."

It was a good-sized box and I knew that it contained a portable printer and a digital camera, somewhere in the depths. Bella finally found those things and was giddy as a schoolgirl. She threw her arms around me placing tiny kisses all over my face. She became suddenly serious and leaned back to look into my eyes. "You know you don't have to lavish me with gifts, Edward, right? I'm not here because of your money."

"I know that, and that's why I want to spend it on you. You're always so grateful and excited about it. You don't expect it. I enjoy buying you things, baby." I kissed her forehead and she hugged me tight. Abby was excited about the new computer, too.

"Can I play on it?" she asked me hopefully.

"You'll have to ask Bella, baby."

"Bella?" I chuckled at Abby's doe eyes that she gave Bella and waited for Bella's response. Bella kneeled next to Abby to get down on her level. I always appreciated that about Bella. She never talked down to Abby.

"You may play on it only when I'm with you, okay? Deal?"

"Deal!" Abby squealed and threw her arms around Bella. Bella stood up holding Abby who wrapped herself around Bella and laid her head on Bella's shoulder. "Could you be my mommy?" she asked softly.

Bella's eyes held panic in them as she looked at me. I walked over and took Abby from Bella's arms and sat down with her in my lap. I brushed her curly blonde hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Bella can't be your mommy because you already have one, Abby, but Bella can be sort of like another mommy to you if you want. Don't you think that would be better?"

Abby played with the platinum chain on my neck as she often did when we were talking. "Like Mary is like another mommy?"

"Yeah, sort of like that."

"Can I call Bella 'Mommy'?"

Bella was sitting next to us now and I looked to her. She shrugged and said, "You can call me whatever you'd like to, Abby. I promise I'll always answer you, okay?"

Abby smiled and continued to play with my chain. I knew she was thinking things over. She remained quiet, so Bella and I continued to talk. My phone buzzed with a text message and I fished it out to look at it.

_U have 90 min b4 u have 2 b ready. Want dinner? – R._

I texted back, _Order pizza for evrybdy – E._

We played with Abby while we waited for the pizza. She didn't say anything more about wanting Bella to be her mommy and continued to call Bella by her name. I was curious about what was going through her little mind, but knew that if Abby wanted to talk about it more, she'd let me know.

After dinner, Mary took Abby, and Bella and I went to our bus to get ready for the concert. Bella was in the bathroom putting makeup on so I slid in behind her and put my arms around her waist.

"Hi, sexy lady." She giggled.

"Hi. Are you already done?"

"Nah, I've got about an hour's worth of work to do on my hair." Bella burst into full laughter. She looked into the mirror at me standing behind her.

"What kind of _work_ are you talking about?" she asked with a smirk.

I grinned at her. "Oh, I think we could figure something out." She giggled again.

"Cullen, your hair always looks like you've got the 'freshly fucked' look going on. If you need an hour's work on it before the show, let me be the first to stand in line to give you a hand." She then blushed, and so did I.

She was finished with her makeup and looked absolutely fucking gorgeous. We vacated the bathroom and I handed my cell to her to hang on to during the show for me. Then, I sat down on the edge of the bed and patted my knee. She crawled on my lap and put her arms around me. "What's up, Edward? You're lookin' all serious."

"I wanted to apologize for last night… if I… went too far." I felt the heat in my cheeks when I said it. _Since when do I fucking BLUSH when I'm talking about sex?_ Apparently, I wasn't the only one because Bella flushed a beautiful shade of pink herself.

"You and I both know that it's going to happen eventually. I didn't mind. If I would have minded, I would have tried harder to stop you. We're just both afraid to complicate what we have with… sex. I think we both feel the desire for one another's bodies." Bella looked like she'd rather crawl in a hole and die than have this conversation with me. I tended to agree with her, somewhat, but I had to know.

"So, you, um, feel it… too?"

She looked down and then back up at me through her thick eyelashes. "Yes, Edward. I probably want you as much or more than you want me."

"Really?" _Fuck me! She's really going to talk to me about this!_

"Yes." Giggling ensued.

"Okay, well, you're right. I'm afraid of complicating things. I love the friendship we share, and I love you so much, Bella. I don't want to fuck it up by pushing you into something you're not ready for too soon. And… you know, when you called me 'Mr. Velvet' I was afraid that you thought that I was acting on impulses that come from my dark side. I love you, I want you, and I want you to know that you have all of me, not just 'Mr. Velvet." _But Jesus Christ I hope you give me the green light…_

"Edward, I was teasing you when I called you Mr. Velvet, but I know that when you let that part of you in, you have more confidence than you do normally. It's not like you have split personalities, it's just that when you are playing each role, you express the features of whoever you're playing and suppress those of whom you're not. All of those characteristics are a part of the whole you. You just tend to not let them all come together very often. How about if we just let things happen as they may and not worry about it so much?"

_Is that the green light? Fuck. What did she say? _"Uh, sounds like a plan. And thank you, for knowing the real me."

"You're welcome, but you don't sound convinced."

"I was hoping for some… guidance."

"Okay, how about this. I'm ready. Right now."

_WHAT?! HOLYFUCKINGSHIT SHE GAVE ME THE GREEN LIGHT!_ "You're not serious."

"As a heart attack."

"No, you're not."

"Am too."

"Are not."

We both sat there staring at each other for a minute and then we both burst into uncontrollable laughter, that is until she pushed me backwards and straddled my chest. She fisted her hands in my hair and leaned in to kiss me and holy fuck. I think that the earth may have tilted on its axis a bit because that was the most amazing fucking kiss ever in the history of kisses. It was more than amazing. It was… un-fucking-believable! It was the kiss to end all kisses. There isn't a man alive who has _ever_ been kissed like that before or since. It was like… our very _souls_ were kissing each other. When she released my lips and stared at me, I could see that she had felt it, too. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Time to go to work, Edward."

"Can't I just stay here in bed, with you, for-fucking-ever?" More giggling. _God… I love that sound. It's SO much better in person that it is on the phone._

"Nope. You gotta go make some _money_!" she replied with a smirk a mile wide.

Needless to say, she was kidding, but it began a banter that continued forever. Staying in bed together for-fucking-ever is the only thing we ever wanted to do from then on.

I tickled her to get her off me and then pulled her off the bed and we headed out for the show feeling even more connected than we already did. Whatever shit might have been waiting in the wings to come our way could come, because we knew that we'd face it together. As I walked on stage that night, I kissed her hand, winked at her, and took the first steps of the rest of my life, knowing that everything was going to be just fine.

After the show, we headed for San Diego, both too tired for anything but sleep. We had a big day planned the next day because we planned to take Abby to the San Diego Zoo. It was a complicated event for us to get out in the public and do something like that, but I knew that Rhianne had it all handled. It was gonna be great, and such a 'family' thing to do. I couldn't wait and I dreamed about it all night.

**_End Note: OK! Review, review, review... I'm like a crack-whore, only I NEED reviews to get my fix! _**

**_Also, please remember that it's Thursday and B/E just met on Saturday, which is why I'm cockblocking Edward. _**

**_San Diego here we come! See all you San Diego Vixens at the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre! Lillie, Lea, Amy, Militza, Tammy, and I will be in the Scooby-mobile!_**

**_Follow me on Twitter. www (dot) twitter (dot) com/JuJuRN40_**


	19. Sacrifice

**_A/N Okay, I just need to make an announcement before I move on. I've placed myself on the auction block for Support Stacie. The auction is from Sept 11-14 so I expect to be bid on. :) PLEASE!!! LOL Details are available on my profile._**

**_Miss Lillie is the most amazing friend and beta in the universe. Seriously, thank you for backing me off the ledge several times this week and putting my insecurities to rest. It's good to know that there's someone out there who cares enough to listen to all of my whining and insecurity and then tell me to buck up because I'm full of shit. I love you, darlin'. H&R._**

**_Thank you to all of my amazing readers and reviewers! We've topped 1,000 reviews and are still going up. That's just freaking awesome! I know I haven't answered them all yet, but I felt my time was better spent writing because things are starting to roll for these two crazy kids. _**

_Disclaimer: SM is the goddess of all things Twilight. I'm green with envy._

_**Bella**_

I was pretty sure that Edward had lost his fucking mind the next morning. We had arrived in San Diego. It was a beautiful Friday morning. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we were planning on going to the San Diego Zoo that day with Abby.

Edward came into the bedroom carrying a cup of coffee as soon as I awakened. I stretched and sat up before taking the coffee cup from his hand.

"Good morning, babe." He kissed the top of my head and slid his hand in behind my hair, caressing my neck.

"Good morning," I smiled back at him, taking a sip of the hot coffee.

"We're all checked in," he said as he sat on the side of the bed and put his hand on my thigh, effectively sending jolts of desire up my leg and into the pit of my stomach.

"Checked in?" I asked in confusion. "Checked in where?"

Edward chuckled and ran his fingers though his hair, which completely distracted me. Apparently, I was just horny as fuck and couldn't think straight that morning. "The hotel. We're staying in a hotel here in San Diego, baby. The buses are going to meet us in Albuquerque after we fly in for the Phoenix and Vegas shows."

"Oh." I felt like a total idiot. Apparently, I hadn't paid attention to my last briefing with Rhianne. I was going to have to start keeping an appointment book or a calendar on my new computer or something just so I could keep up with all the arrangements and know what was going on. My phone buzzed and I reached for it. Edward's buzzed at the same time. It was a text from Rhianne.

_Make sure you take what you need to the hotel. No access to the buses for a few days. –R_

The limousine dropped us off at the hotel and we had a beautiful suite that opened out onto the beach. It was amazing. It was a large, two-bedroom suite that we were to share with Abby and Mary. I was a little concerned that Abby shouldn't know that we were sleeping in the same bed, but Edward assured me that it would be fine so I trusted him.

We were busily getting settled and I was in the bathroom trying to do something with my stupid hair when Edward walked into the bedroom and I heard him chuckle. I stepped out of the bathroom to see what was going on and noticed he had laid some clothes out, complete with a blonde wig, sunglasses, and a baseball cap.

"What's that for?"

"It's your disguise for the day!" he announced proudly. I snickered.

"My what?"

He looked at me, totally serious, and said, "Your disguise, Bella, for the zoo."

I looked at the bed. Jeans, t-shirt, Keds, blonde wig, baseball cap, and impossibly large sunglasses. _A blonde wig? Really? Seriously?_ I stifled a giggle. "Um, where did you get that stuff?"

He looked a little hurt when he said, "Did I not do alright?"

"No, no, no, you did just _fine_, Edward. I just wondered where you got the stuff is all." I shrugged to throw him off the scent of my amusement at his choices.

"I've got my sources," he said smugly.

"What are you wearing?" He lifted the sack that he was holding in his other hand, unnoticed by me up until that point, and opened it. He started pulling items out of it and I clapped my hand over my mouth to keep from just cracking right the hell up. _Blue_ jeans, _white_ t-shirt, non-descript athletic shoes, _hair gel_, a San Diego Padres baseball cap, and a pair of aviator sunglasses. He looked so fucking smug; I could hardly stand to burst his bubble.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I said, and then cleared my throat. "These are our disguises for the day, huh?" He nodded and stared at me as though I was the one who had lost my mind. "Edward?"

"What?" He sounded… irritated.

"What's Abby going to wear?"

"Mary has her all squared away, Bella. Believe it or not, we have actually done this before." I raised my eyebrows and then blinked, wondering what kind of fools we were going to look like. I knew, however, that Edward was annoyed with my lack of confidence, so I put on my big girl panties and decided to put my faith in him.

"I trust you." I grabbed my 'disguise' and took it in the bathroom to get dressed. I put on my 'non-descript' disguise and started fooling around with the wig. I looked like a complete moron, but kept my mouth shut as long as I could. I tried the wig every which way. Every time I moved even a strand of the hair around, I looked stupider. In exasperation, I finally walked out of the bathroom. "Edward," I whined, "this looks dumb."

Edward turned to look at me and chuckled. He strode across the floor and took my face in his hands, tenderly kissing me. "Bella, you look beautiful no matter what you're wearing." He fingered a few strands of the blonde hair and tucked it behind my ear, just like he did my own hair.

"Do I really have to wear this wig?"

"Please trust me on this. Yes. You have to wear the wig."

I huffed and crammed the hat on my head. Edward chuckled again while he helped me adjust it. He took the sunglasses out of my hand and carefully placed them on my face. I looked up at him exasperated. "I feel stupid."

"Don't."

He put his hat on and when he did, I noticed that he had put the hair gel in his hair and made it lay down. I almost laughed again. Edward just didn't look right without his normal messy 'do. He grabbed my hand and led me out of the bedroom into the living area of the suite. Abby and Mary's bedroom door was still closed so I took off my sunglasses and looked around. On the table was a stack of magazines and newspapers. Rhianne was sitting there quietly looking through them. I walked over to peek over her shoulder, and there, on the pages of some teen magazine, was my face. I was horrified.

I pointed at the picture and said, "What the hell is _that_?"

Rhianne looked up at me calmly, then started flipping the pages. There were pictures of me shopping with Abby, pictures of me with Edward, pictures of me backstage at Edward's concerts, pictures of me getting on and off the tour bus. With each magazine, it just got worse and worse. I was stunned. I turned to Edward who was now standing beside me and just stared.

"This is why you need the disguise, Bella," he said softly. "Welcome to my life. I'm sorry."

As his words registered in my mind, I realized that he was afraid. He was afraid that the pictures were going to freak me out and I wouldn't want to be with him because of them. He was afraid that I was going to leave. I reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it as hard as I could. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, Edward. Shit happens." I picked up a lock of the blonde hair that was cascading over my shoulders and making my head itch.

Rhianne giggled and Edward chuckled. We all three looked at each other and started laughing. Abby's bedroom door opened and she walked out in… you guessed it… jeans, t-shirt, Keds, pink baseball cap, and sunglasses. We all just laughed harder. As we walked out the door, I turned to Rhianne and said, "I'm going to be putting together a scrapbook. Can you see that those pictures get put somewhere where I can use them?"

Rhianne smiled a wide smile and said, "You got it, Bella."

We drove to the zoo in a POS rented Ford Taurus. I wished at that moment, for the first time, for my Ferrari. The bodyguards were following us in another rental car. Mary had stayed at the hotel, opting for a day off to spend on the beach rather than going to the zoo. I couldn't help but think it had more to do with giving Edward and me alone time with Abby, but was glad she would have a day off.

Abby and I decided to sing on the way and I was pleased to find that she knew many of the childhood songs I remembered from my own childhood. At least my Gram had taught me some normal childhood things because God knows my dingbat mother wasn't capable of it. I was pretty sure I saw Edward wipe a tear from his cheek as Abby and I belted out "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Do Your Ears Hang Low," "My Bonnie," and "Michael Finnegan."

It was only the beginning of a wonderful day. Okay, so it was a little weird having big bodyguards in jeans and t-shirts with baseball caps on following us around all day, but other than that, and the disguises, it almost felt like we were just any other 'normal' (whatever that is) family. We must have walked a thousand miles around the zoo, making sure that Abby saw everything she wanted to see. Of course, she asked to see the tigers twice, so we went back. She called me mommy three times that day. I never missed a step, I just responded to her quickly, as I had promised her I would. That was the single most perfect day I had ever had up until that point. By the end, we were thoroughly exhausted. Abby fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel and Edward carried her inside. We both tucked her in to bed and kissed her goodnight before changing our clothes and going out to the beach for a moonlight stroll.

Sunday night we were in Phoenix and Monday night we were in Las Vegas. As soon as the Vegas show was over, we headed to McCarren and hopped on the private jet to Albuquerque. We arrived there around three in the morning and I was beat. I literally fell into the bed at the hotel fully dressed and slept until three on Tuesday afternoon. I awakened to the sound of Edward's voice shouting in the other room. He sounded really distressed and I flew out of the bed to see what was happening.

When I first walked out of the bedroom, I thought he was talking to Tanya. _Bitch._ But, as I approached him, I realized it wasn't Tanya. I heard him refer to whomever he was talking to as "Kate" and I stopped. _Who the fuck is Kate?_

"I didn't see you _or_ your parents in court! If you guys want visitation with Abby, you're gonna have to go to court and ask for it!" I realized that this must be one of Tanya's sisters that he was talking to. I sidled up behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist, laying my head on his back. He immediately reached down and grabbed my arm, pulling me around front of him, and held me with one arm, while he held the phone and continued to argue with the skank's sister.

"If she wanted Abby in Chicago Saturday, she shouldn't have gotten her ass thrown in jail. I don't care what she says. Abby's not going to be there. Her visitation was to be monitored anyway. Are you and your parents going to have supervised visitation with Abby? I didn't think so. Forget it. I said no. Fine, call Tanya's goddamn attorney. I couldn't care fucking less. Don't tell me what I can and can't say. Fuck you, Kate." Edward threw his phone into a chair and threw his other arm around me.

"I'm sorry I woke you, babe." He kissed the top of my head and held me there for quite some time.

"It's okay. I needed to get up anyway. What's going on?"

Edward led me to the couch to sit down while he brought me a cup of coffee and a sinful looking Danish. He sat down with me and I turned to face him while I nibbled on the Danish, waiting to hear the story.

"It seems that Tanya told her sisters and her parents to make sure Abby was in Chicago this weekend and that they could have her visitation time. I'm so pissed off. I know what those assholes will do, and that's take Abby to see her mother in jail, Bella. Abby can't see her mother in that place." He stood up and paced around for a minute before sitting back down. I scooted over to him and started rubbing his back.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say, Edward. I agree with you. Abby doesn't need to see her in jail. Why don't you call your attorney?"

He kissed my forehead and walked over to grab his phone and did just that, called his attorney. "Demetri, I've got a problem."

I sipped my coffee and listened while he explained that Kate had called him and insisted that Abby be present for her visit on Saturday even though Tanya was in jail. Apparently, Carmen and Eleazar, Tanya's parents, wanted Tanya's visitation time to be with them. They, along with Tanya's sisters, Kate and Irina, felt it was in Abby's best interest to be there with them while Edward was on tour since he was "shacked up with some woman that nobody knows anything about." Edward winced and mouthed, "I'm sorry," to me when he told Demetri this little jewel of information. He was on the phone for a long time and I listened carefully, contemplating the options in my head. Edward didn't say too much after his initial story other than 'yes' and 'no'.

Upon hanging up, he put his arms around me and said, "I'm sorry you had to hear all of that, love."

I turned into his hug, kissed him, and said, "No, I'm sorry you have to go through all of that. What are the options?"

He sighed, leaning back against the sofa and running his hand through his hair. "I don't really know. It's complicated."

"Complicated meaning you don't want to tell me what the options are."

"No, complicated as in complicated." He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and I immediately knew he was lying to me.

"Edward," I said softly while reaching for his hand.

"Yeah," he answered, his fingers still pressed to the bridge of his nose, and his eyes closed tightly.

"If I'm making it complicated for you to properly care for your daughter and I need to go, I'll go. She's more important…"

"NO!" he said, cutting me off and grabbing both of my wrists. "You are every bit as important to me as Abby is. Can't you see that? I can't function without you, Bella. You can't go. I need you with me so that I _can_ take care of Abby properly. Please, don't even consider leaving now. I couldn't bear it. You and Abby are the most important things in my life. You _are_ my life. We'll figure out something else, just please don't say you're leaving."

I hopped up to my knees and threw my arms around him and he pulled me into his lap. He cradled me in his arms and looked down at me, imploring me with his gorgeous green eyes. I looked back at him, trying to show him just how much I loved him, and placed my hand on his cheek.

"Edward, for as long as you'll have me, I'm here. I love you, so, so much. I'm sorry I mentioned it, I just didn't want to be what was making things complicated."

He brushed back my hair and pulled me close to him, kissing me as though it were the last time. When he finally pulled away from me, he looked at me with his crooked smile that made my knees weak. "I love you, too, Bella. You aren't making things complicated, they are. We'll figure it out, okay?"

It wasn't long before we headed to the Journal Pavilion for Edward's show, and I was amazed at how different each of the places he went to perform were. Cricket Amphitheatre in San Diego had been a beautiful outdoor venue with nearly 20,000 fans. Next we did Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix which was also a beautiful outdoor venue with nearly 20,000 fans. Las Vegas was a different story. We were at the MGM Grand Garden there, which seats about 17,000. It was indoors, and of course, it was Vegas. I was sad that we didn't have any time to spend there because I had never been to Las Vegas, but Edward promised he would take me back. The Journal Pavilion in Albuquerque had a capacity of about 12,000, so smaller than the last couple of venues we had been to. I was interested in how many outdoor concerts Edward was doing.

After the concert was over, we had our usual time in the dressing room, visiting with the other guys, members of the road crew, and entertaining fans. I was amazed at how many of "Velvet's Vixens" managed to make it to his shows. It seemed there were always an endless number of them there, but they never made a nuisance of themselves. They really weren't anything like what I had expected of groupies. I never saw any of them do anything that I felt was highly inappropriate in front of me, which really surprised me. I decided that the horror stories I had heard via the news media and the gossip columns had all been made up to sensationalize things. I was glad that this was at least one area in which I didn't feel insecure. A few of the girls were getting pretty chummy with me actually. I was really starting to feel a part of the whole group rather than an outsider who was intruding. All the guys, the Vixens, the road crew- they all called me by name and were polite and kind to me, helping me out if I looked lost, which happened more than I care to say once Rhianne released me from her never-ending presence.

After Albuquerque, we were to have a couple of days off and would travel to Denver on the coaches for Edward's performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. As soon as we were all safely ensconced on the busses that night, we left.

The next day, we were rolling into Denver late morning. Edward and I were both awake and drinking coffee, talking and enjoying each other's company when Edward got a call from Demetri. I knew it was bad when Edward stood, went to the bedroom, and slammed the door. I sat staring at the bedroom door, waiting for him to come out, for what felt like hours. I couldn't hear him talking so I knew that he at least wasn't raising his voice.

Finally, the door opened and Edward motioned me to come back. I walked in and plopped down on the bed, trying not to show my nervousness at what news he had. "So, how bad is it?"

"Fuckers filed a custody suit."

I pondered this briefly and said, "Who? Tanya's parents and sisters?"

"Yeah." He sounded exasperated as he flopped back on the bed and hit it with his fist about three times.

"Well, so what does this mean?"

"It means I'm going to have to be in court in Chicago next week for a preliminary hearing. That's what it means. _Fuck!_"

"What about Saturday?"

"Demetri recommended that I send Abby to the visitation, but stipulate that it still has to be supervised and that Abby is not to see her mother in jail. He says he can get an order from the judge that it has to be that way or no go. He said that if I go ahead and send her to visit with her aunts and grandparents, it will show good faith on my part that I'm not going to alienate her from that side of the family, which is exactly what the fuck I'd like to do. I wish those fucktards would just butt the hell out of my life."

I sat there contemplating exactly what this was going to mean for Edward. It would mean that he could possibly have to cancel or reschedule a show or two. It also meant that he would be having to fly back and forth to Chicago at least once, if not more in the next week. I worried more about Edward's level of exhaustion than anything. "Are you going to send her?"

"I don't know, Bella. I don't know what to do. I don't want to just send her with Mary because it's not fair to Mary to have to deal with those people on her own. I don't want my mom to have to go because she despises the whole lot of them. She never did get along with Carmen and Eleazar because they thought that they were superior to Carlisle and Esme because they inherited their money and Carlisle and Esme worked for theirs. Kate and Irina are spoiled bitches just like Tanya. I've got Denver on Friday night, Dallas Saturday, Houston Sunday, New Orleans Monday, and Shreveport on Tuesday. Obviously, I'm going to have to cancel a concert if I go. Fuck. Can't those assholes wait until I'm closer to home to pull this shit?"

"Do you want me to go?" I asked because I was the only one he hadn't mentioned. It seemed like a logical thing and I had no problem doing it. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for Edward and for Abby.

Edward sat up and looked at me with incredulity. "Are you serious?"

I shrugged. "Of course I'm serious. I'm the only one you didn't name in that entire dissertation. It makes sense. You can't go. You don't want Mary to go alone. You don't want your mom to have to go. I don't know those people and they don't know me. They can say whatever they want to me, but I would be there for Abby."

"I'll have to think about that."

"Why? What is there to think about, Edward? Who else is going to do it?"

"I just don't know if it's a good idea, that's all."

I shook my head and rolled my eyes in exasperation. "Why not? Honestly, why not? They already know about me, so what difference does it make."

"They might use it against me in court."

"Use what?"

"That I sent my daughter off with 'the mystery woman that nobody knows anything about' and didn't see to her myself."

"Well, you're a little busy right now."

Edward held my gaze for a few moments and said, "Can I just think about it, please? Let me wrap my head around it, call Demetri and see what the harm could be. I really don't want you alone with those people."

"I don't have to be alone. Mary will be there."

"That's not what I mean, Bella, and you know it. Let me just ponder it for a couple of hours."

I shook my head and stood to go find some food. It was nearly lunch time and I was starving. I made Edward and myself a sandwich and called Edward to come eat while pouring him a glass of milk. When he walked in, he wrapped his arms around my waist and put his chin on top of my head. I leaned into his chest and sighed.

I felt so sorry for this man that I loved so very much. He was so broken and had so many things going on in his life. I was surprised that he had so much left over for me. It amazed me how much he really just needed a companion, more than anything, and at how alone he had been over the past few years. Even when he was married to Tanya, he had spent the majority of his time alone. Everyone thinks that being a superstar means being surrounded by people all the time, and it does, but it doesn't mean that very many of those people care about you beyond the fact that you're famous. I hoped Edward would come to understand that I really didn't care if he was famous, or if he lived in a hovel in the middle of a desert. I would still love him because of who he was, not what he was, or what he could do for me.

He kissed the top of my head and moved to sit down at the table, but remained silent. I sat next to him and quietly munched on my sandwich. Edward did the same. About halfway through our meal, Edward finally said, "Why do you want to do this? Why would you want to go?"

I placed my sandwich on my plate and turned to face him. I took his hands in mine and looked him in the eye when I answered, "Because I love you and I love Abby and I want to do whatever I can to make things as easy as possible for you and as non-traumatic as possible for Abby. Maybe me going with her would help her. I don't know. I just want to do what I can to help."

"You're the real deal aren't you, Bella? I mean, I knew you were, but this just has me nearly speechless. Nobody has ever loved me so selflessly before. I don't really know how to manage it. I don't deserve…"

"You DO deserve it. Don't even say that again. You deserve it just as much or more than the next guy. You haven't ever been properly loved, and I want to be the one to do it so knock it off!"

Edward grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me to him, firmly planting his lips on mine. Taking the upper hand, I slid across the bench seat, straddling his lap. I immediately found my fingers in his hair, clenching it as I kissed him for dear life. His hands were roaming over my back, drawing slow circles over the muscles that were taut and on edge. Feelings of desire seeped into every cell in my body and each one of my nerves was on fire with it. Before I even realized what I was doing, I found myself grinding against Edward, wanting, no, needing the friction. I sighed and Edward moaned.

I felt Edward shift beneath me and I clamped my knees against his hips. I wasn't letting him get away. I wanted him. I wanted us to be together and the consequences of that be damned. I already felt as one with him, the next step was to consummate that feeling with a physical union of our bodies. We wanted it. We needed it. We were desperate for it.

Edward slid off the bench and stood as I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on. He released my lips so I clamped them to his neck. He was walking towards the bedroom and I opened my eyes and saw the bus driver smiling at us in his big rear view mirror. I let the thought flit through my mind that this was going to be news by that night because of him, but found that I didn't care. I had Edward, and that was all that mattered.

**_End Note: I'll um, write the next chapter fast. Promise. :) For all of you who are going to tell me that I'm evil leaving it there... I know. I like it that way. It feels... powerful. _**

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**_www (dot) twitter (dot) com/JuJuRN40_**

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	20. Butterfly

_**A/N The moment we've all been waiting for. It's short, but I hope it's just enough. Many thanks to Lea, Militza, and Amy for previewing this chapter for me and putting their stamp of "fuck-hot" on it.**_

If you have the availability, listen to "Butterfly" by Jason Mraz while reading this chapter. I listened to it on repeat while writing this one.

**_To Lillie who is first and foremost my friend, my sister from another mother, and my beta ~ Thank you for always being there for me, listening to me, sharing my sorrow and my joy, and literally holding my hand and getting me through the last week. More than Romeo loved Juliet, darlin'. Please accept a vat of cyber-chocolate martinis from me to show my appreciation._**

**_After you read and REVIEW, please run on over to my profile and check out the stories that I'm beta'ing. LolaRosa, MilitzaG, and Eyes of Topaz are all in the midst of some pretty great stories and they deserve some love._**

_Disclaimer: The "Twilight" characters that appear in this story unfortunately belong to Stephenie Meyer who is the goddess of all things Twilight. I own this story and my OCs and that's about it. I do have two cats that I will gladly give away._

**_Edward_**

The only thing I was sure of in the moment I made the decision to carry Bella to the bedroom was the love, desire, and need radiating from every pore in her body, and that I felt exactly the same way. We needed to be together, to allow our bodies to meld into one much as our hearts and souls already had. It really wasn't my idea of where and how I wanted our first time to go, but at that point in time, the need was too great. There would be time for romantic and sweet later.

I walked through the bedroom door and pushed it shut with my foot, assessing the situation and what was about to happen. _Fuck it,_ I thought, _here's as good as anywhere…_

Bella detached her lips from my earlobe, which felt fucking fantastic by the way, and started kissing my mouth again. As I slid my hands down her sides and over the swell of her ass, I moaned into her mouth. Her legs were still wrapped around me as I stood in front of the door. My cock, that was hard enough to cut diamonds, was pulsing and throbbing and quite uncomfortable in my jeans. I shoved it against Bella and the heat that was coming from her center felt like a lava flow against my dick.

"Jesus… Fuck, Bella," I ground out while my hands gripped her ass and pulled her to me.

She slid her hands up under my shirt and tugged upwards on it, so I obliged her and let her pull it off me. I placed my hands on the bottoms of her thighs and squeezed, then gently pulled, and she unwrapped her legs and put her feet on the floor. As she kicked her shoes off, she grabbed hold of one nipple with her teeth and bit down gently. _Fuck me._ We were moving at a frenzied pace, mouths and hands everywhere. I yanked her top off and moaned when I caught an eye full of her luscious tits. I started fumbling with the lacy black bra she had on and was becoming more frustrated by the second. Between kissing her mouth, her neck, and her shoulder I moaned, "How the fuck do you get this fucking thing off?"

Bella giggled and reached in front of her, quickly undoing the clasp and tossing the offending article of clothing away. I grabbed her and shoved her against the door, immediately cupping both breasts in my hands and attacking first one and then the other with my mouth. She moaned and threw her head back, cracking it on the door. "Sorry," I mumbled through a mouth full of tit.

"'S okay," she breathed back.

While I continued my full-on assault of Bella's perfect tits with my mouth, I reached between us and unbuttoned her jeans, then pushed the zipper down quickly because fuck it all, I wanted her the hell out of them, like fast. Suddenly I felt her hand on my package and a shudder of pure ecstasy went through me. She squeezed my dick through my jeans and then grabbed the waistband with both hands and yanked all the buttons open at once. I could have sworn I actually heard my damn dick celebrating.

I pulled Bella to me and pushed her against the door again. Her legs wrapped around me and my knees felt fucking weak. Never in my life had any woman had this kind of an effect on me. I was struggling to get my jeans off, but finally made it. It was then that I realized that Bella and I were standing in my tour bus against the closed bedroom door, both of us in nothing but our underwear, and we were actually on the verge of fucking. I loved her so goddamn much I couldn't even imagine how I had gotten so lucky.

Bella was grinding herself against my cock and she was just lucky that I didn't freaking jizz in my boxers. It had been far too long since I had been with a woman. Rosie Palm and her five sisters were pretty much the only girls I had been with for quite some time. Fuck she felt good, skin on skin, chests pressed together, both of us panting and clawing at each other as though we were trying to climb inside one another.

She had her legs locked around my waist and was squeezing me so tight I thought my lower half might just fall off, but I didn't care. I wanted it. I wanted her. I needed her. I held onto her with one arm while the other one slid down her backside and found her black lace panties. As my tongue plumbed her mouth and left no recess of it untouched, I briefly wondered how attached she really was to those black lace panties, because they needed to go. In the same instant, I realized that I could buy her 1,000 pair just like them and I commenced removing them, and I wasn't being a gentleman about it either. I finally felt the flimsy fabric give way and heard a ripping sound as I pulled them away from her body and tossed them on the floor. Bella gasped and started clawing at my boxers.

I reached down to help her out and started pushing them down, my cock springing out and seemingly searching for where it knew it wanted to be as though it had a homing beacon attached. I kicked the boxers away and felt Bella adjusting her position against me, trying to get my cock inside her.

I quickly reached my hand down behind her and ran my fingers down her dripping wet slit, sliding one finger up into her and relishing in her body's impulsive reaction. Bloody fucking hell she was wet.

"Guh… Edward… fuck… I need…."

"What do you need, baby?" I whispered in her ear between teases of her earlobe with my teeth.

"Damn it, Edward, please," she begged.

I chuckled and teased her entrance with my finger. "Mmmm, I think I want you to beg some more." I leaned back to look in her face and her eyes were open wide and looking mighty fierce.

"I need you inside me! Now!" she cried. It was something I was totally unprepared for and the sound of her crying out those particular words went right through my body like a tsunami causing all sorts of reflexive reactions.

I pulled up the hand that was busy teasing her, and looking her square in the eye, popped my finger right into my mouth. Fuck she tasted good; just like peaches and cream with sugar. Her mouth attacked my mouth while my finger was still in it, so I smirked and slid the finger into her mouth, both of us tasting her peaches. _Holy… fuck that's hot…_

When I couldn't hold back any longer, I shoved her against the door again, and watched her face while I slowly impaled her on my waiting cock. I was fascinated by the way her head dropped back with her mouth open. Unintelligible sounds escaped her lips and it felt like every muscle in her body both tensed and relaxed at the same time. She was so warm, and wet, and tight, and when I was fully seated inside of her, I felt her muscles squeeze and massage my cock. Nothing… I repeat nothing… had ever felt so good or so right to me in all my life.

I immediately started thrusting to a rhythm that was meant for her and me only. She moaned loud and I joined her. My hands fell to her ass and I squeezed it tight as I plumbed her depths, filling her up. I heard a banging sound and realized it was me banging her body against the door. _Shit… I gotta get her off this door before I hurt her…_

I reached up, pulled her tightly to me, and started to turn. She clamped her legs down on me and as I walked… well… stumbled… towards the bed, she started riding me and biting my shoulder.

"Ung… fuck…" was all I could say and when I reached the bed, we just sort of fell onto it together. We were still thrusting against each other and rolling around until we found our groove again. Bella wound up atop me and thrust her hips hard against mine. I looked up at her and found her staring down at me with those chocolate eyes, mahogany hair surrounding her. She looked like an angel, an angel of seduction. I sat up and wrapped my arms around her while trying to find the edge of the bed so I could put my feet down and get some leverage. I continued to move hard against her and by the time I got the leverage I needed, we were worked up into a frenzied pace again. I knew I wasn't going to last much longer and I didn't want to disappoint her. Fear struck my heart. _Crap… what if I fuck this up?!_

As quickly as I had the thought, it was squelched when Bella grabbed my hair with both hands and pulled. Hard. "Oh fuck, Edward, I'm coming!" she cried and then I felt her orgasm wash over the both of us like a cool spring rain wiping the slate clean. Her muscles clenched and she groaned and cried out. Her knees slammed against my hips and she held on tight as I bucked against her and felt my release tearing through my body.

"Fuck, oh God, Bella, fuck, here it… get ready… FUCK YES!" My climax came down all around me sending me into an ecstasy I had never known. We both shuddered and shook and clung to each other as we rode the waves of our orgasms out, and then we collapsed onto the bed in a tangle of limbs, panting and gasping for breath.

I laid there for a while with my eyes closed and just felt, for the first time in my life. I caressed Bella's skin and she nuzzled against my chest. The feelings were overwhelming. Every single place our skin was joined felt alive and on fire. I felt whole. I felt like all the shit that had gone down didn't even matter anymore because I knew Bella was with me, and we were one, and all the bullshit in the world could never tear us apart.

**_END NOTE: _****_Upcoming tour cities ~ Denver, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Shreveport, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha. (NOT all inclusive... and YES this IS an international tour.) Review to get your VIP passes to EC Velvet's shows!_**

**_So... was it worth the wait?_**


	21. Lucky

**_A/N Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews for last chapter. I tried to answer them all, but if I didn't get to yours, thank you. _**

**_Because I *heart* Jason Mraz so hard, theme song this chapter is "Lucky" and it fits. :)_**

**_Lillie Cullen is the goddess of all things beta and friend. Love you BB! H&R!_**

_Obligatory Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I own this story line, so leave it alone, and I own my OC's, so leave them alone, too. 'Nuff said. _

_**Bella**_

_Oh. My. God. That. Just. Happened! _I was too exhausted and euphoric to even speak. I just laid there with my head on Edward's chest, our arms and legs tangled together, and thought about how freaking _amazing_ it had been. I listened as Edward's breathing slowed, followed closely by his heart. The feel of his hands caressing me intoxicated me. We had moved into a whole new plane of existence where we were unbreakable and unstoppable. I only hoped that he felt the same way.

At some point we both must have fallen asleep, but the bus stopping woke us up. Well, me anyway. Edward was snoring softly. He still had one arm around me, but the other was sprawled across the bed. I carefully leaned up to look at him. He was so beautiful. It was the first time I had really had time to inspect his tats and I was intrigued by them so I didn't want him to awaken and interrupt me just then.

My eyes scanned his chest and stopped on the yin-yang that adorned his right pec. Tentatively, my fingers reached out and touched it lightly. Edward's breathing pattern didn't change so I continued. I wondered what the tat meant to him. I thought about what I had learned about yin-yang and wondered if the light and dark, to Edward, were the parts of his persona that made up Velvet as opposed to the real him. I decided to ask him about it later and continued my exploration. On his right bicep was "Abigail Grace" in a fancy script surrounded by a tiny delicate green vine with miniature red roses on it in the shape of a heart. I knew about the celtic cross he had on his back, but I was even more interested in the phoenix that curled over his left shoulder. The colors were brilliant, reds, oranges, yellows, and golds. As I examined it closer, I noted that the phoenix had teardrops falling from the eye that was nearest to the left side of Edward's chest, as though the tears were falling on his heart. The legend of the phoenix says that its tears have healing power. I wondered when Edward got this particular tattoo and if the tears were meant to heal his heart.

I traced the tears of the phoenix with my finger while my eyes wandered down his chest to his rock-hard abs. I had seen Edward work out a few times, but decided he must do more of it at home when he wasn't on tour. Either that or he had some of the best genes known to man because all of his muscles were very well defined. As my eyes wandered across his abdomen, I noted another tattoo on his right hip, just below the cut of his abdominal muscles. I had never noticed this one before and it caught my eye. It was small and I had to lean in to see it. I giggled just a little bit when I finally made it out. It said one word. "Velvet."

Edward stirred and I slid my hand across his belly and nuzzled his neck. He kissed the top of my head and wrapped his other arm around me, pulling me over on top of him. He then kissed my lips tenderly and whispered, "Are you okay?"

I smiled broadly at him, hoping that I was exuding every bit of love and happiness that I felt. His lips twitched as he broke into a half-smile. "Yes, Edward. I'm more than okay. I love you."

His smile finally became a full one and he replied, "I love you, too, my Bella." I really liked the sound of that. "Where are we? Do you know?"

"No idea. The bus stopped, but the engine is still running and I haven't heard anything."

Edward pushed his body against me, letting me feel his very obvious arousal pressed into my belly. A shudder tore through me and he chuckled. "You like that, do you?"

"Mmmmmm," I said before kissing him deeply.

Edward chuckled again and flipped us over quickly, pinning me beneath him. He kissed my mouth and then ran his tongue across my jaw and down my neck making me tingle all over. He ended his tongue's journey with a soft kiss in the hollow beneath my ear and whispered, "As much as I'd like to have you again, right now, we better get up and see what's going on. However, don't get too far away from me because later I'm going to make you scream my name some more." I shivered with anticipation and he chuckled yet again before crawling off the bed and extending his hand to me to help me up.

As I stood, I ran my hand over the phoenix. "This phoenix is beautiful, Edward. What does it mean?"

He looked down at it and his emerald green eyes twinkled when he looked back up at me. "I got the phoenix after Tanya and I divorced. You know, they are reborn from their ashes and I felt like I was being reborn from my ashes."

"But the tears? Are they healing your heart?"

"You know the legend of the phoenix then?"

I nodded. "I do."

"I had those added after the first time you called me. You were the one who finally made my phoenix cry its healing tears and start to heal my heart."

I stared up at him for a brief moment before throwing my arms around him. "Oh, Edward. You're just too much sometimes." He kissed the top of my head and we parted, both of us trooping into the tiny bathroom to take a shower.

Edward stepped into the shower first, pulling me with him into the hot spray. He began pulling my long hair up and back, making sure it was all wet. He took my strawberry shampoo and poured some in his hand before turning me around and gently washing my hair. He scrubbed my scalp and pulled his fingers through my hair tenderly. I had to put my hands on the sides of the shower to keep from melting right into a puddle on the floor. When he was done lathering, he turned me again and rinsed all the shampoo away. I kept my eyes closed and enjoyed the sensations of his body brushing up against mine as he worked. He put the conditioner in my hair when he was done rinsing and then took some shower gel into his hands and started lathering up my body. My nipples grew taut as he swirled his soapy hands around them. I reached out to hang on to the sides of the shower again as his hands lovingly caressed my belly, my back, my butt, and my thighs. Several times I heard him murmur, "So beautiful," and "All mine," which made a coil tighten in my belly every time I heard it. I wanted to jump him and force him to make love to me, but I didn't want to ruin the beautiful moment we were sharing, so I tried to remain in control of my actions, closed my eyes, and luxuriated in the sensation of his hands on my body.

When he was done rinsing every bit of soap and conditioner from me, I traded places with him and returned the favor. I washed him lovingly and quietly, making sure I got all of his parts. His sex was fully aroused and I bit my lip and giggled a bit before I put my soapy hands on it and stroked it gently. Edward's body shuddered and he moaned with the contact. I looked up at his face and saw him smirking so I continued to run one soapy hand over the length of his cock while I reached beneath and carefully stroked his balls. "Jesus Christ, Bella. You're not making this easy," he ground out while reaching down and placing his hands on my shoulders.

"Sorry," I mumbled and stood up to turn him and rinse all the suds off him. The water was getting cold quickly so I hurried to get the rest of the soap off before turning off the water. I started to open the shower door when his strong arms captured me and his lips crashed into mine, kissing me fervently.

When he released me, he looked into my eyes and said, "Don't ever be sorry for that. I fucking love you and if I could spend the rest of my life with some part of your body touching mine, I would, but that doesn't pay the bills, baby." He grinned and kissed me again before opening the door himself and grabbing a towel off the rack. He started drying me off and I grabbed the other towel and pushed it into his chest.

"Someone just came on the bus," I hissed. We both giggled as we climbed out of the tiny shower and began drying off. I wrapped the towel around my head and just as I opened the shower door, I heard knocking on our bedroom door.

"Edward? Bella? You guys awake?" It was Rhianne. We must have arrived at our destination.

"Yeah, just a sec," I hollered at her.

"Okay."

After we were dressed, we walked into the main compartment of the bus to find Rhianne and some guy I didn't know sitting there. I glanced at Edward and he looked confused as well.

"Hi, guys. I wanted to bring the new road manager over to introduce you. Edward, Bella, this is Stefan. He's going to take over a ton of work from me and I'm grateful because then I can concentrate on the two of you."

Edward stepped forward and shook Stefan's hand so I did the same.

"Nice to meet you both," Stefan said warmly. "I've been looking forward to meeting up with you here in Denver. I'll be with you for the rest of the tour. It sounds like poor Rhianne has had a lot on her plate so I hope that I can help her out."

Edward motioned for everyone to sit as he answered, "You got that right. Rhianne's been working her ass off. The label sent you?"

After that, there was a lot of 'music business' talk that I really didn't understand so I just smiled and listened, nodding my head at the appropriate times. Before long, Abby came bounding onto the bus and crawled right up in her daddy's lap. She seemed frustrated that daddy was busy so I stood and said, "Come on, Abby, let's go play, okay?"

Abby squealed and took my hand immediately, so we went outside and over to the small bus that she and Mary were using. I played a game of Chutes & Ladders with her and talked with Mary some while she fixed lunch. The three of us ate PB&J together and played another round of Chutes & Ladders. Afterwards, Mary said it was time for Abby's nap, so I kissed and hugged her. She looked up at me and said, "Will you read me a book, mommy?"

My heart soared and I said, "Sure, Abby." Mary looked at me and I nodded to her to let her know it was okay as I walked with Abby to where her bed was in the bus. There was a shelf right next to it with several books on it. "What book do you want me to read?"

Abby perused the books carefully and then pulled out "Green Eggs and Ham," handing it to me as though it were breakable. "That's my favorite," she said happily.

"What a coincidence! It's one of my favorites, too!"

I laid down on Abby's bed with her and read the book aloud, enjoying every second of it. I had never thought of myself as maternal, but Abby seemed to bring out the maternal instinct in me and I felt really good that she was so attached to me already. The only thing that I longed for was for all of us to be home together so she could have some semblance of normal rather than living on a stupid tour bus. I knew that Mary kept her schedule rather rigid so that she wouldn't get confused, but it was hard to believe that they weren't both exhausted from the traveling. Hell, I had only done it for a little over a week and I was exhausted!

After she was asleep, I excused myself and went back to find Edward. I walked around where the tour busses were parked in a circle of sorts, kind of like when they 'circled the wagons' in the old west and chuckled softly to myself. As I emerged from the circles, the mountains were breathtaking and I saw that we were at Red Rocks. I'm not sure there had ever been a more gorgeous location for a concert. It was only Wednesday and the concert wasn't until Friday, so I wondered what we were going to do for those two days. I was walking around taking in the scenery when a pair of strong arms encircled me.

"Whatcha doin', babe?" Edward's velvety voice said in my ear.

"Just checkin' things out and looking for you."

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"That it is."

We walked around hand in hand for a few minutes so Edward could show me some things about the amphitheatre. We sat down in the seats just in front of the stage and Edward turned to me.

"I've been thinking about you taking Abby to Chicago."

"And?"

"Do you really still want to?"

"Of course I do."

"Well, here's the deal then. The concert is Friday. I really need to have a face to face with my attorney this week anyway. I was thinking we could all fly to Chicago later this afternoon. I could get some business attended to, get you and Abby settled in my house, and make sure that the conditions of the meeting are specified before I throw you to the wolves. Does that work for you?"

"Your house?" I felt like an idiot. I hadn't even thought about where I'd stay in Chicago.

Edward chuckled. "Yeah, my house, unless you'd rather stay at my downtown apartment."

"Uh, wherever is fine with me."

Edward smiled and picked up his phone. He called Rhianne and asked her to arrange for us to fly out to Chicago later that afternoon. He also asked for her to arrange for my Ferrari to be sent to Chicago straight away. "I want it somewhere that it can't get scratched up and stuff," he explained. "Besides, we're not going to have very many opportunities to drive it while on tour, obviously."

I just smiled and nodded at him. After that was all taken care of, he took my hand and looked at me seriously. "Bella, there's something I want to talk to you about because I don't want anything to happen that you don't want."

A lump rose in my throat. I had no idea what he meant or what he was doing. I blinked a couple of times as I nodded.

"I'm sorry I sort of attacked you earlier. It was thoughtless of me to not offer to wear a condom and I have no idea if you're protected from pregnancy…"

"I'm on the pill, Edward," I cut him off. I was so relieved that this was all he wanted to discuss that I didn't even care that it was kind of embarrassing. "I have been for several years. I never stopped taking it after… well, after I left Mike."

"Oh, well that's good. It's been plaguing me for a couple of hours," he said sheepishly. Then he continued, "But about the condom…"

"Are you safe?" I asked, never having let the thought cross my mind that he wouldn't be.

"I'm not going to lie, Bella. I slept around a little bit right after Tanya and I split up, but I haven't in a very long time. I've been tested for everything under the sun and have a clean bill of health, but I didn't want you worried about it."

I took both of his hands in mine. "If you say you're clean, I believe you. I'm not worried about it, Edward. I can see how being on the road could be conducive to… indiscretions."

Edward looked down at our joined hands and said, "I'm not proud of that, Bella. I never cheated on Tanya while we were married, even when I was on tour and women were throwing themselves at me. It was tough sometimes, let me tell ya, especially after I'd had a few drinks and I was hopped up on adrenaline after a show, but I always remained faithful to her, no matter how much she stepped out on me or how much of a bitch she was to me. As soon as our divorce was final, I was on a mini-tour of sorts and I just kind of went wild, letting the Velvet part take over for a couple of months. I drank, a lot, I smoked pot, I did some coke, and I fucked every woman on two legs who threw herself at me. It was a very dark time for me. I tried to keep it all under wraps as much as I could because I didn't need the media reporting that shit and Tanya getting a hold of it. That's when I got that fuckin' tattoo of 'Velvet' on my hip. I was in a bad place and I did some pretty bad things. I'm sorry now that I did those things because the only person I was hurting was myself. She was doing her own awful shit, but I was too fucked up to even notice for a while. Once I realized the situation my daughter was living in, I straightened myself out and stopped the drugs, slowed the drinking, and swore off women. I'm not sure why I'm telling you all of this except that I really feel like I need to be completely honest with you. If our relationship is going where I want it to go, you need to know everything, not just the good stuff."

He was still looking down at our joined hands and I needed to see his eyes. "Edward, look at me, please?" Slowly he brought his head up. His eyes were filled with sadness at his confession and my heart was breaking for him. "I love you, Edward. I'm not going to judge you for what you've done in your past. I've seen what you go through on a daily basis and it's quite admirable that you were able to pull yourself together as well as you have. None of it matters to me. I have you in the here and now and that's all I want. I'm with you, no matter what, from here on out for as long as you'll have me and we're going to be a force to be reckoned with."

He embraced me then, holding me and rocking me, pulling me into his lap. I laid my head on his shoulder and just sat with him quietly for quite some time. Finally he said, "Thank you for forgiving me."

"Pfffft. There's nothing to forgive, Edward. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Soon, we had to go and pack for Chicago. Edward really didn't have to take too much, but I needed clothes as I had none there. A limo picked us up to take us in to the airport. Abby was just precious sitting in her booster seat in the back of the limo pointing at things and asking a thousand questions of both Edward and myself. Mary beamed at her. I could tell that Mary really cared about Abby and it made my heart happy that Abby had so many people that loved her.

We arrived at Rocky Mountain Municipal Airport after quite a drive. I looked around confused. "I thought we were going to the airport? Isn't DIA the airport here?"

Edward chuckled. "We don't need DIA, Bella. We've got a private jet."

"Oh!" I don't know why it surprised me, but it did.

We boarded the jet and were quite the entourage. Rhianne, Edward, Mary, Abby, four bodyguards, and me. The plane was plush and nothing like I had ever seen before. The seats weren't in rows like they were on commercial flights. There was a leather sofa, several large leather chairs, a table with a few chairs, a television, wet bar, telephone, and a desk with plug-ins for a computer. I settled into one of the large leather chairs next to Edward and found that there were seatbelts buried in the seat. Edward nodded when I looked questioningly at him regarding the seatbelts and fastened his, too. Mary had Abby all strapped in and everyone else found a place to sit and got strapped in as well. There was even a flight attendant who came around and introduced herself as 'Candy.' I raised an eyebrow and Edward chuckled when she came to me.

After we took off, Candy brought us all drinks and we unbuckled our seatbelts so we could move around the plane. I was thoroughly shocked when Edward motioned to me, opened a door in the back, and found a bedroom, complete with a queen-sized bed. "I thought maybe you could use a nap?" I smiled and laid down with him where we simply laid atop the covers, and held each other.

Abby came in and crawled up on the bed. "What's up, Abby?" I asked her.

"Can I lay down with you?"

"Of course you can, honey." She wasted no time crawling right in between Edward and myself, shoving herself between us. We scooted apart to make room for her and Edward turned on the television. "Madagascar 2" was on, so we watched it the rest of the way to Chicago.

Upon arrival in Chicago, things seemed to happen quickly. We were all quickly ushered into a limousine and driven across town. Edward was on his phone a couple of times and I had no idea what he was talking about. When we arrived at his house, we entered the gate and I gasped at the size of it. It wasn't a house. It was a freaking mansion. The place was lit up like a Christmas tree and when the chauffer opened the back door, I could see that the front door was standing open and a very pretty lady was standing on the porch.

"That's Maria, my housekeeper," Edward informed me.

Abby bounded out of the car and ran into the house screaming something about being home. Edward and I walked up, hand in hand, and he introduced me to Maria. "Maria is from Guatemala," he explained. I shook her hand and then Edward ushered me inside.

I was astounded. There was marble and cherry wood everywhere. The entryway had a huge chandelier hanging in it with a huge picture of Edward hanging on the wall directly in front of the door. To the right and left were marble staircases leading up to the second floor where a big balcony looked down onto the foyer. On the left was a large archway that looked as though it led into a huge living room. On the right was another archway leading into a big dining room with a cherry table.

Edward gave me a tour of the house, including the studio that was being built on the back of the house to further his plans of starting his own label. Finally, we retired to Edward's master suite where he ran me a bath in the very large Jacuzzi bathtub.

"Come take a bath, baby. It's been a long day." He led me into the bathroom and started stripping me down. His warm, strong hands ran over my body as he removed my blouse, then my jeans, and finally my bra, leaving me standing there in nothing but my panties. I turned to face him and my breath hitched when he pulled me into his embrace and kissed me hard. I snaked my arms around his waist and pulled him closer to me, needing to feel his body next to mine. He was hard and I felt his body shudder as I pushed against his cock, rubbing against him.

He released me and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of my panties, smirking as he pulled them down. I stepped out of them and he tossed them aside, then led me over to the bathtub. He held my hand while I stepped in. I relaxed into the hot water and Edward turned on the jets. "Close your eyes and relax, babe. I'll be right back."

I followed his instructions. It wasn't hard. The bath felt so damn good. The jets massaged my sore and tired back and I felt every single muscle in my body releasing the tension that had built. I was so nervous being in Edward's house, it was insane. I kept thinking, _"How did this happen to me? How did I get so lucky?"_ I heard Edward moving around the bathroom, but didn't open my eyes until I felt him stepping into the tub with me.

The sight that met my eyes was incredible. While I had laid there relaxing, Edward had lit several candles around the room, brought me a glass of wine, undressed, and was now in the tub with me. He sat at the opposite end from me and picked up one of my feet, massaging it gently. I slid my other foot up his thigh and rested it on his leg. He smiled over at me and asked, "So, what do you think of my house?"

"It's great. Kinda big for just you, isn't it?"

Edward's eyes took on a sadness again. "Yeah, it's kinda big. I don't like it when I'm here by myself. It's too quiet. The silence is deafening."

"I can imagine."

"I hope that's not the case anymore. I hope that you'll be here with me from now on."

I cocked my head to the side and smiled at him. He was still massaging my foot and calf. It felt so good. I imagined spending every day just like that with him. Edward gently released that leg and picked up my other, massaging it as well. I felt my eyes falling closed and I leaned back, just enjoying the feel of his hands on my body. When he was done with my legs, I felt him moving around and I caught him with my feet. Opening one eye, I said, "You're not getting out are you?" He chuckled.

"No. I was going to slide in behind you."

I sat up so he could sit behind me and as soon as he was settled, he pulled my back against my chest. I rested my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes again. His hands were running up and down my arms, but soon they were gently swirling around my breasts and rubbing my tummy.

"Mmmm, that feels good."

"Does it?" he questioned before leaning down and kissing my exposed neck and shoulder.

"Uh huh…"

He cupped my breasts in both hands and gently squeezed them, rolling his thumbs across my nipples and teasing them both into hard peaks. "And what about that?" he purred.

"Oh yeah, that feels... mmmm… so good." My arms were resting on Edward's thighs and I stroked them gently, marveling at his hard muscles. I felt his erection twitch against my back and felt a slow smile spread over my face. His lips were still trailing over my shoulder and neck until he brought his left hand up and pulled me to him to kiss my lips. I started to turn towards him and he stopped me.

"Not here, baby. If you're ready to get out though…" I stood up, not waiting for him to finish. He chuckled again and stepped out as well, opening the drain as he did. We both dried off quickly and he wrapped a big fuzzy robe around me before leading me to his bedroom. It was late and I was tired. I looked at his huge king-sized bed longingly. I was so aroused, yet so relaxed from the bath. I didn't know for sure what I wanted just then. Edward turned down the bed and patted it, silently asking me to get in. I obliged and tossed the robe on the floor, crawling between the covers and sinking into the soft mattress. A moment later Edward was on the other side and he climbed in. Reaching his arms across the bed, he brought me to the middle to snuggle into his arms.

"You tired, babe? We can just go to sleep, as long as I get to hold you."

I didn't take long to think about it. No way was I going to sleep. I wanted Edward to make love to me, in his bed, in his room, in his house. "I'd really like it if you just made love to me, Edward." It was all the encouragement he needed to make slow, sweet, sexy, hot love to me.

His hands were magical when they worked my body over, but they couldn't hold a candle to his mouth. When he lowered his head between my legs, I was nearly shattered by the sheer ecstasy of it. His tongue lapped circles around my clit while his fingers slid slowly in and out of me. Every time I thought I was going to come, he stopped. By the time he finally entered me, I shuddered with the first orgasm immediately. Two hours and four orgasms later, I lay in his arms, panting, blissed out, and on the verge of a very deep sleep. As I drifted off, I heard him say, "My Bella," while brushing my damp hair off my face.

The next morning was a flurry of activity. Edward went to see his attorney and returned just before lunch. While he was gone, I got lost in the house twice, played with Abby, directed the unloading of my Ferrari, and found out that his parents were coming over for lunch. I was a bundle of nerves by the time he got home. When he arrived, I met him in the foyer and regarded him cautiously. His eyes were full of worry. I reached to hug him. "What's wrong, Edward?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Just a hard morning with Demetri. I don't always like what he has to tell me."

"Anything I can do?"

"Nah, it's cool. I'm good." He kissed me on the cheek and took my hand while we walked towards the kitchen. "My mom here yet?"

"No, but they're both coming."

"Good. You need to meet them both."

I knew that Edward wanted me to meet his parents, but it was kind of a cryptic thing to say. I brushed it off thinking he had other things on his mind and told him I was going to find Abby and have her get cleaned up for lunch. He had an odd look on his face when he said, "Isn't that what Mary's here for?"

"Oh, I know. I just want to help," I answered with a smile, and went off in search of the beautiful little four-year-old who had stolen my heart.

Meeting Edward's parents went well for the most part. Edward finally asked me to excuse them when his father started asking personal questions about our relationship. I might have been angry, but I was more relieved that he saved me the embarrassment of him telling his dad what our relationship was, exactly. I really didn't want to be there for that. I went upstairs with Abby and read her a book before she went to sleep for her nap. We read "Goodnight Moon" that time, and I was thankful that it was short. I didn't want to keep Edward waiting. When I returned to the dining room, they had all moved into the living room, so I went to meet up with them. I heard Edward's voice carrying through the foyer as I crossed it.

"I don't think that's any of your damn business, Dad! I can take care of myself. I have been for a long time!" I stopped. I wasn't sure whether to go ahead and walk in the room or not. I listened for a moment and heard Carlisle's reply.

"I realize that, Edward, but you know what's going to happen in court. Tanya and her family are just going to throw it in your face that you're living with this woman. They're going to dig up every piece of dirt they can on you and on her. Do you really want her to have to endure that? The media is bad enough, but do you want her to have to testify about it in court?" It was at that moment I'd had enough. I couldn't even begin to imagine what 'dirt' he could be talking about where I was concerned, but there was little or no dirt to be found. I stormed into the living room and to Edward's side, taking his hand in mine.

"What is it that I'm not going to want to testify about in court? I've got nothing to hide, Mr. Cullen. The only thing in my past is an abusive boyfriend that I left months ago." Edward squeezed my hand and mouthed an apology to me. I gave him a quick smile and turned back to his father.

"That's not what your ex-boyfriend says," he retorted and tossed a magazine on the coffee table. I picked it up and stared at my picture on the front of it. There was a headline reading something about a harlot and I was furious. I opened it to read the article and there was a picture of Mike in all his asshole glory, smiling at the camera, and spewing the most awful lies about me.

"Oh my God!" I yelled. "I've got to call, Alice. The boys are probably going to kill him for this." I left the living room, apologizing to Edward's parents for my outburst. I heard Edward tell them he would call them later and heard his footsteps on the stairs, following me up them.

I grabbed my phone and dialed Alice. She answered before it rang. _How does she DO that?_

"I just read it, Bella. Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I had no idea he was going to pull this shit. Fuck. Jasper and Emmett are going to be so pissed off!"

"I know! But, Alice, they can't do anything to him. You have to make sure."

"I know this, Bella," she hissed. "Just a minute, hang on." I heard her cell clank on a table or something and heard her talking, apparently on another phone, to Jasper.

"I'm on the phone with her right now, Jas. She's fine. She's just worried that you and Emmett are going to do something. No, you can't. You have to leave him alone. I mean it, Jas. Yeah. Okay, I'll talk to you later. Love you, too."

"Bella?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I take it this just came out today?"

"I guess, at least today is the first time I saw it. Rosalie called me and told me to go get it and read."

I talked to Alice for a while longer. She assured me that she would make sure that Jasper and Emmett stayed on their best behavior and didn't do anything to Mike. The next thing I did was call my father. It was a call I wasn't looking forward to, especially since I hadn't talked to him since I left Seattle.

"Hi, Dad," I said, trying to sound chipper, when he answered.

"Hi, Bells." No enthusiasm whatsoever. "Where are you?"

"Um, right now I'm in Chicago. I've been meaning to call, but have been so busy that…"

"I don't want to hear what you've been busy with, Bella. I'm very disappointed in you."

"What? Why?" I was incredulous. Surely after everything I had gone through with Mike he didn't believe all that bullshit that Mike had said.

"Is all this true, Bella?"

"All _what_, Dad? What Mike's been saying? Is that what you're so upset about? Because I really hope it isn't, because you, of all people, should know it's all lies." I felt a tear roll down my face and Edward immediately took me in his arms, holding me while I talked to my father and cried.

"I'm not sure what to believe anymore, Bella. I don't hear from you for days on end, so I call your friends because you don't return my calls, and all I get is beating around the bush about how you're busy, and then I start seeing articles in the newspaper about you off with some _rapper_ and then this. I just don't know what to think."

That was when I broke down. I cried. Hard. I told my dad all about Edward, from how we met to what we were doing now. I told him about Mike's jealous outburst when the picture came out in the Seattle paper and I told him how wonderful Edward was and that I wanted him to meet him just as soon as it was possible for Edward with his busy schedule. When I thought I wasn't going to be able to make him understand, he finally backed off.

"I'm sorry, Bells. I just wish you would keep in touch a little better."

"I'm sorry, too, daddy, I just wish you would learn to use your email so it was easier for me. I'm not always someplace that I can call, but I'm usually someplace that I can email." Charlie finally relented and softened. I was thankful, because I didn't think I could deal with any more heartfail that day. When we hung up, he agreed to check his email every other day and I agreed to email him at least twice a week.

Edward hugged me tight and apologized to me. I told him it wasn't necessary, but he seemed to think the whole thing was his fault. I couldn't make him understand that I didn't care. As long as my friends and Charlie were okay, I couldn't care less what anyone else thought. Finally he asked me to go for a walk and we headed out onto his estate to walk around in his flower gardens out back. It was such a beautiful place. While we walked, Edward explained to me what Demetri had told him. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be, but it was bad enough. Demetri had explained that since Edward hadn't known me 'in person' for long, that it might look bad to the judge that we were essentially living together. He told him that he basically had two choices.

"What are the choices?"

"Well, we can either just let this go and you can go to court and testify. We'll have to call your father and all of your friends to testify on your behalf, as character witnesses. Tanya and her lawyers will try to crucify you, and we'll just have to hope that they believe us instead of her."

"Okay, what's the other choice?" Edward turned to me with a smirk.

"We get married." He watched my reaction, which truthfully wasn't very surprised. I presumed after all he had told me that getting married was probably going to be the other option. I tried to keep any emotion out of my voice when I answered him.

"So, what do you want to do?" It was my turn to surprise Edward. His eyes widened slightly before he went back to a neutral facial expression.

"Well, I guess that's kind of up to you, Bella. I'd love to marry you, but I don't know if you're ready for that yet. On the other hand, I don't mind making Tanya sit through hours of testimony as to how wonderful you really are." He finished with a smile and it made me smile back. It also made me love him even more, if that were possible.

"Let's just play it by ear then. Okay with you?"

He nodded and hugged me. "That's what I was going to suggest, baby."

We headed back to the house hand in hand, ready to face whatever was going to come our way. Just as we got to the door I turned to him and said, "Do you feel unbreakable and unstoppable like I do?" He smiled and nodded. It was all I needed to know.

As we climbed the stairs to find Abby Edward said, "Bella, I'm so lucky to be in love with my best friend."

**_End Note: *drum roll* Let the angst begin! LOL Reminder for upcoming tour dates: Denver, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Shreveport, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha. NOT all inclusive! Velvet's Vixens have outgrown the Scooby-Mobile so we've rented a full sized tour bus of our own. Amy will be providing the entertainment, Lillie will be the "sorority mom" and keep us all in line, and the rest of us are going to attack the wet bar. Review for your bus ticket and VIP passes!_**

**_Don't forget to follow me on Twitter! www (dot) twitter (dot) com/JuJuRN40_**

**_Please go read the new story "A Different Kind of Moon" by Eyes of Topaz. Link is on my profile. Also check out the links to my other beta'd stories by LolaRosa and MilitzaG!_**


	22. Goodbye

**_A/N Well my lovelies, you have all been so wonderful about reviewing and haven't even gotten mad at me when I've been far too busy to reply, so I'm giving you a treat this chapter before the real angst begins. :) The reviews are awesome so please keep them coming! I really enjoy them and they inspire me to keep writing for all of you!_**

**_To my wonderful beta Lillie Cullen...There are no words for what you mean to me. If you guys love my story, be sure to give thanks to Lillie by going to my profile, finding the links to her stories there, and reading them if you haven't already. Don't forget to review for her. She makes sure that I don't suck among other things. _**

**_Lillie will be posting the first chapter of the third story of the Lessons Trilogy, "A Lesson in Love," on Thursday so get her on Author Alert so you'll be ready for the awesomeness that is Lillie!_**

_Disclaimer: All hail Stephenie Meyer. She owns all of the Twilight characters. Without her, EC Velvet would never have been dreamed into existence. _

_**Edward**_

I didn't want to leave her there. I didn't want to throw her to the proverbial wolves. It just wasn't what I wanted to do. I tried to figure every way around it that I could, but it just wasn't working out for me to stay, or to come back even. I had personal appearances over the weekend that would be detrimental to my career if I didn't make them.

That night as we went to bed, I pulled her close to me and kissed her tenderly, running my tongue across her lower lip before touching the tip of her tongue with mine. She sighed into my mouth and deepened the kiss while wrapping her arms around my neck and intertwining her fingers in my hair. She slid her left knee along the outside of my right thigh and pulled herself closer to me. "I want you," I whispered while placing tiny kisses along the line of her jaw. She sighed and threw her head back, pulling my head into her neck.

I gently pushed on her shoulder and she complied with my wish by laying back. In the moonlight through the window, I could see her eyes shining as I hovered over her and pressed my body against hers. My engorged cock strained against its very skin as I pressed it against her heat and stroked it against her slit. I could feel her juices soaking my skin and I shuddered in anticipation of the night's activities.

I kissed Bella with a hunger and I felt her return the desire in her kiss. It wasn't as though we were going to be apart for more than a couple of days, but I couldn't bear the thought of not having her next to me. She completed the being that I was.

As I kissed my way down her neck and across her collarbone, I let my hand make languid circles on her belly, occasionally brushing the sensitive underside of her breasts. Her body was so responsive to mine and I watched when her nipples pebbled and peaked as my fingers danced across them lightly.

Her fingers were running through my hair and she leaned up a couple of times to kiss the top of my head, but mostly I felt her eyes on me, watching my every move.

I let out a guttural groan when I finally took the peak of one breast into my mouth and allowed my hand to slip between her legs, cupping her moist sex. She was bare down there and I smirked at the sensation of sliding my fingers into her soft, wet folds.

"Ah, Bella, you're so wet." I gently nipped at her nipple with my teeth while my fingers rubbed the length of her slit, paying particular attention to the bundle of nerves near the top. She writhed beneath my hand and pulled gently on my hair.

"I need you inside me," she whispered. She was breathing hard and I glanced up at her to see that her eyes were closed and her head was pressed back into the pillow while her pelvis arched towards my invading fingers.

I couldn't even stop the smile that spread across my face at the look on hers as I slid one finger down and teased her opening for just a moment before sliding it inside her. Her body jerked convulsively and she moaned, pushing her head further back into the pillow.

"Oh, God, Edward, please…" she choked out as the second finger joined my first.

I positioned myself where I could see her but still lavish attention on her breasts while I started slowly moving my fingers in and out of her core. I felt her muscles clench around them when my thumb grazed across her clit so I applied more pressure to it and slid my other arm under her back.

"What is it that you want, Isabella?" My voice sounded almost foreign to me because I was breathless and full of desire. I nearly growled the question at her. My fingers were still moving slowly within her and my thumb was making lazy circles on her clit.

She shuddered and her muscles clenched around my fingers again, her hips thrusting against my hand trying to pull them deeper inside of her. I released her nipple completely and watched her squirm to the tune of my ministrations. She was absolutely, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on in my life and I felt fiercely possessive of her in that moment.

Her heavily lidded eyes opened momentarily and locked on mine when she answered me. "I want you to fuck me, Edward. Hard, and long, and good. I want you to fuck me so hard that I won't be able to walk properly the next few days that I have to be away from you."

My cock twitched and the muscles in my stomach clenched. _Did __**my**__ Bella really just say that?_ I didn't waste any more time. I withdrew my fingers from her and started spreading her honeyed liquid over my cock as I urged her to turn over. She smirked at me when she rolled over and pushed up on her hands and knees.

_Holy. Fuck._

She wiggled her ass at me invitingly and turned her head to watch over her shoulder as I moved in behind her. My breath caught when I ran my hands down over the swell of her ass and back up the sides of her creamy thighs and hips. I grasped her hips with both hands and rubbed my shaft along the cleft of her ass, letting the air in my lungs out with a whoosh at the feeling. Bella pushed back against me and ground her ass against my dick.

"Come on, Edward, please?" She pushed hard against me and moved her hips in a circle. I guessed she had enough of my teasing.

I released her hip with my right hand and grasped my cock placing it at her opening. She was so wet that she was slippery so there was no resistance as I pushed the head inside her. We both groaned as I continued to push forward, burying myself within her folds. I grabbed her hips once more and held her steady for a moment, wanting to feel her muscles clench and relax, accommodating my size. She started to move before I did, rocking herself forward just a little and then rocking back.

"Ungh… fuck." She felt so fucking good. She was tight, and warm, and wet, and… fuck. I grasped her hips tightly and started to thrust into her, rocking my hips back and forth, occasionally circling them, trying to touch all of her most sensitive spots.

She moaned and rocked back against me, meeting every thrust. Our bodies were moving in a perfect asynchronous movement, meeting directly in the middle each and every time.

"Harder, Edward…" she panted. I was through trying to take it slow. I dug my fingers into her sides and started slamming into her. I pulled back until my cock was almost out of her and then pounded it back inside.

"Fuck… yes…" she cried, continuing to meet my thrusts. The harder I pounded, the harder she slammed herself back against me, practically screaming. Her vocalization was nearly my undoing. I slowed ever so slightly and ran my hands up her back, feeling her muscles working as she threw the entire weight of her body back into me over and over again.

"Touch yourself, Bella, come with me, baby," I whispered in a strangled voice.

She responded with something unintelligible and then I felt her fingers on me at the place where we were joined, squeezing my cock as it drove in and out of her sweet pussy.

"Ah, fuck… Bella…" Her fingers moved away but I felt them graze against my cock occasionally as she rubbed her clit. I lost any modicum of control that I had left. As if my hips had a mind of their own, I began to ram my cock into her as hard as I could. Both of us were making guttural, primal sounds as our climaxes approached.

I felt her tighten around me and she slammed back against me hard. I steadied her and continued to thrust against her, feeling her muscles contract in spasms against my cock. Moments later, I came undone as I pulled her against me and shuddered, crying out her name.

I collapsed against her back and we rolled in opposite directions, both desperately trying to find our way back to the middle of the bed so we could hold each other. Both of our bodies slid together as we were both covered in a light sheen of sweat. Our lips met and we kissed each other languidly, enjoying the warm afterglow of our lovemaking.

Bella buried her head in my chest and tucked herself in to my side. As our breathing slowed, she whispered, "Edward? I love you so much."

I tightened my arm around her and leaned up to kiss her hair, inhaling everything that was Bella whilst I did. I could smell the faint scent of her strawberry shampoo mixed in with the scent of our sex that still lingered in the air. It was intoxicating. She was intoxicating. "I love you, my Bella." She slid her arm across my stomach and slowly I felt her relax as she fell asleep.

I couldn't go to sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I didn't want to give up a single second that I could spend conscious in her presence. I lay there with my arm around her, watching her as she slept. When she would stir, I would run my hand down her back, or down her arm, and she would still. She talked in her sleep that night. Most of what she said was unintelligible, but I heard her say my name more than once. I smiled each time she did because I knew that she was dreaming about me, and that was fine with me.

I thought about the way we had met while the moonlight streamed through the window and glinted off her beautiful long hair. I traced the length of her arm while musing about fate being so kind to me. I knew that fate, or something bigger than us both, had played a big part in bringing us together, but fate had never really been my friend. I never dreamed that she would be so kind to me as to bring me a creature who was so beautiful, inside and out, serve her up to me on a silver platter, and make her all mine.

Sometime, very early in the morning, I finally dozed off for a couple of hours. When I awakened, Bella was smiling at me. She had raised up on her elbow and was resting her chin on her hand that was firmly planted on my chest.

"Morning, my Bella." She smiled.

"I like when you call me 'my Bella'."

I chuckled at her. "You do, huh?"

She giggled and planted her lips firmly against mine. I didn't resist her, because I couldn't. I made love to her again, and she made love to me.

Afterwards, we both got up and took a shower together, neither of us wanting to part ways. As the time neared for me to leave, I became more miserable by the minute. I didn't want to go and leave her there.

I made sure everything was taken care of and in place before I left. My father was going to be accompanying Abby and Bella to the visitation on Saturday. Between Demetri, Carlisle, and me, we had decided that this was the best course of action. I could have sent Esme, but her history with the Denalis wasn't good and she would be likely to be unable to hold her tongue. Esme was going to stay at my house and be there for Bella when she returned in case there were any confrontations. I hoped this wouldn't be the case, but I sure as hell wasn't holding my breath. Those people were vicious. When Demetri, Carlisle, Rhianne, and me were all satisfied that we had attended to every single detail, I went to tell Abby goodbye.

"Abby, baby, come here for a minute."

"What, Daddy?" She bounced over to me, her blonde curls bobbing on her head, her smile infectious.

"Baby, Daddy has to go back to work for a couple of days, but you need to stay here with Mary and Bella, okay?" She immediately stuck out her bottom lip.

"I wanna go."

"I know you do, baby, but you have to go see Grandma and Grandpa Denali tomorrow. Aunt Kate and Aunt Irina will be there, too." She scrunched up her little face into a scowl and crossed her arms. I had to really try to not chuckle at her.

"Do I have to?" I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wasn't going as well as I had hoped for.

"Yeah, you have to. But, on Sunday, you can fly to Houston with Mary and Bella and meet back up with me, okay?" She sat quietly for a minute, contemplating I supposed. I wasn't sure exactly how a four year old's mind contemplated something, but that was sure what she looked like she was doing.

"Bella's staying with me?" she asked with a hopeful look. I hugged her.

"Yes. Bella's staying with you."

"I don't hafta go to mommy's house?" My heart ached. What four-year-old child should not want to see their mom? It pissed me off just as much as it hurt me.

"No. You don't have to go to mommy's house."

"Okay!" she said happily and threw her arms around my neck. I was glad that things were that simple where that was concerned. I stood up and turned around with Abby clinging to my neck and Bella was standing against the doorway smiling.

"We're going to be just fine, Edward. You don't have to worry so much."

"I know, but I do. You're my best girls. I don't want either of you hurting."

Bella kissed me on the cheek and then kissed Abby on the cheek. "Tell Daddy goodbye, Abby. He has to go"

"Bye, Daddy!" she said while tightening her grip on my neck. I handed her to Bella who followed me out and down the stairs. Mary met us in the foyer and said goodbye before she took Abby from Bella and took her off to the back yard to play.

Rhianne was already out in the car, so all I had to do was say goodbye to Bella before I left. I touched her cheek and held her face in my hand for a moment, trying to convey with my eyes and touch how empty I already felt and I hadn't even left yet.

"I know, Edward. I feel it, too. Just go. We'll be fine. I'll see you Sunday, okay? Just go. Please. Before I ask you not to."

I kissed her and whispered, "I love you," before I turned to walk out the door.

"Love you, too," she said to my retreating back. It sounded like she was crying. I knew if I turned to look and saw her crying, I wouldn't leave, so I trudged down to the limo and climbed in. I didn't look at her until I was safely behind the darkened glass of the car. She was standing on the porch smiling and waving at me.

_My Bella._

**_END NOTE: "Ascension" has been nominated for a Mystic Award for having "THE Bella" in it. I'm so thrilled to have been nominated! Please make your way over and vote for me if you've read "Ascension." I'd really appreciate it! _**

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**_The category is "Mrs. Perfect." If you haven't read "Ascension" and would like to see how I thought "Breaking Dawn" should have gone, please read it and then vote! :)_**

**_Denver, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Shreveport, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha are all coming up. As soon as the next chapter posts, we'll be moving through the tour a little faster so all of you who are waiting for Velvet to hit your town, be ready, he's coming. :) _**

**_Velvet's Vixens' tour bus still has room for more passengers so review for your VIP pass and bus ticket to go on tour with us! Amy tells me she's installing a tub full of chocolate and naked Cullen boys in the bus. Sounds good to me!_**

**_Before I shut the hell up and let you all click on the little box and leave me some love, I must thank my preview team, you know who you are, for all of the well-placed "GAHs" and "that was fuckhots" for this chapter! _**

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	23. Confrontation

**_A/N What? Can it be? Two updates in one week?! Yep! I'm back with another chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one. *evil grin* Please read important A/N at the end!_**

**_Thank you Miss Lillie... Love you H&R!_**

_Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of the real places, hotels, or anything else mentioned in this chapter. I own this storyline and my OCs. I don't make money off this venture, much to my husband's chagrin._

_**Bella**_

After Edward's limo pulled away from the house and down the drive, I sighed and returned to the house. It was going to be a very long 48 hours without him. How I had become so dependent on his presence in the short time we had been together, I didn't know, but I did know that watching him leave punched a hole in my chest that I knew wouldn't be filled until we were side by side again.

Ten minutes after he left, my cell phone rang. I giggled when I answered because it was, of course, Edward.

"I miss you, too," was the first thing I said. He chuckled into the phone.

"Is it okay if I call you… a lot… while we're apart?" I felt a warming smile come across my face without my even trying.

"As long as it's okay if I call you… a lot."

He laughed before telling me he would call or text when he got back to Denver. I felt a little better when I hung up, but not much.

I spent the rest of the morning playing outside with Abby. After lunch, she went to take a nap, and I went in search of my laptop. I sat down in front of it and opened my email, surprised at how many emails I had. There were some from Rose, Alice, Emmett, and even Jasper. Hell, there was even an email from Charlie. I opened it first to see how bad it was. I was surprised to find that he was very apologetic for how he had treated me when I called him. It made me feel much better to know that I had the support of my dad behind me. Charlie and I hadn't always gotten along the best, but he was essentially the only family I had.

Interestingly, I had an email from my mom, too. Renee was off with her baseball player husband and had apparently seen my picture in the tabloids. Great. Her letter was short. "What's going on?" was basically all that she said. I chose to answer that one later. Much later.

I looked at all the emails from my friends and emailed each of them back individually. They were all concerned about my well-being due to being the center of attention by the paparazzi all of a sudden. I told them I was holding up. After I emailed everyone, I turned on the television while I was surfing the net. The television was set to MTV so I left it. I was sure there was some dumb show on that could be noise for me while I tried not to think about Edward not being there.

Suddenly, I heard my name on the television. It caught my attention. Fast. I looked up to see what was being said.

"_Bella Swan, current love interest of EC Velvet, is said to be currently ensconced in Velvet's Chicago mansion. Velvet is due at a concert in Denver tonight and speculation is running high as to whether or not he will appear. _

"_Apparently, he's in a custody battle with his estranged ex-wife Tanya Denali over their four-year-old daughter Abigail. Sources tell us that Denali is currently in jail, but one has to wonder why Velvet took his new girlfriend and daughter to Chicago. _

"_Little is known about Bella Swan, who joined Velvet's tour in Seattle. She has been working for the past couple of years as an English Literature professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. It is not known whether she and Velvet knew each other before or just recently met. _

"_Swan's ex-fiancé, Mike Newton, a resident of Seattle, tells MTV news that Swan simply skipped town after Velvet appeared in Seattle nearly two weeks ago. Swan has not been able to be reached for comment. _

And then, much to my chagrin, there was the asshole on television in all of his glory.

"_Bella and I have been together off and on since high school. We were supposed to be getting married this summer, but she took off again. She's always been mentally unstable, especially after that incident with that kid from La Push. She takes off, she comes back, it's just her deal. Dunno what she's running from, but I'll be here waiting to pick up the pieces, as usual, when she comes back home."_

"_Rumors are running high that Newton is simply trying to make a name for himself off the scandal and an unidentified friend of Swan's contacted several tabloids and MTV News yesterday to warn them not to listen to Newton. _

"_Attempts to contact Swan's father, Forks, Washington Chief of Police Charles Swan, have been unsuccessful. _

"_MTV News will be in Denver tonight to see if Velvet shows up for his performance and whether or not Swan is with him. _

"_More on that later. In other news…"_

Fucking. Newton. I turned off the television and slammed my laptop closed. I was fuming. I didn't want to bother Edward, so I called Alice. I told her what had been said and she was fully supportive of me.

"Rose, Emmett, Jas, and I are prepared to do whatever we can do in your defense Bella. Newton's a prick. He just wants to ride on your coattails."

"Who called the tabloids?" Alice hesitated. I knew it wasn't her, but I had my suspicions that it was Jasper. "Was it Jas?"

"I can't really _say_, but…"

"Okay. That's all I wanted to know."

We went on to chitchat about her wedding plans and other things that I had missed in the last couple of weeks. Apparently, Emmett had been arrested for 'stalking' Newton and I laughed my ass off about that. He was parked outside Mike's apartment waiting for him. I guess Mike was scared to get the shit beat out of him again and called the police to remove Emmett so he could leave his apartment. I wondered how much media attention Tanya would be trying to get if she were out of jail.

Once Edward arrived in Denver, he called again. I tried to decide whether to tell him about MTV News, but I didn't have to.

"Well, I got a warm welcome when I arrived back here."

"How's that?"

"Fuckin' MTV News was here shoving a god damn microphone in my face the minute I got out of the limo. Do you know what that fucker Newton did?" I sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I saw it on MTV News right after you left. I turned it off. I was just trying to decide whether or not to tell you."

"Well, you can turn it back on if you want. I think I cleared a few things up for them. If you hate me after you hear what I had to say, I guess that'll be the consequences of my actions." He didn't sound very convinced that I would hate him, and he should have known that I wouldn't. But, that's just the way Edward operated. Everyone else he loved had abandoned him in one way or another through his life, so I guess he was ready for me to split, too. I needed to reassure him that I wasn't going to.

"Edward, listen to me. I'm _not_ going anywhere. I'm sure that whatever you said was fine. I'm pissed off at Mike, not you. I'm not going to hate you, ever. I love you."

"I'm sorry. I just… worry."

"I know, and you need to stop it. Granted, I had no clue what the hell I was getting myself into, but it doesn't matter. None of it matters. What does matter is that I love you and I want to be with _you_. I don't care about all that crap."

"I love you, too. You care, you just aren't letting it get in your way, and I appreciate that."

"Right. You're welcome." Edward chuckled and I knew that everything was alright again. For a guy who was so sure of himself when he was in the spotlight, he sure was insecure in the real world. That bitch Tanya must really have done a number on him. Was it possible to hate someone you had never met? Yep, with her, it was.

After we hung up, I turned the TV back on and watched until MTV News came on again.

"_This is Kurt Loder with MTV News. I have an update on the EC Velvet scandal that is unfolding before our very eyes as his "Heartache & Misery World Tour" is taking the nation by storm. I had an opportunity to speak with Velvet just moments ago when he arrived at Red Rocks Amphitheatre to prepare for his upcoming show tonight. He had this to say."_

They cut to a scene of Edward, looking sexy as fuck, stepping out of his limo. God I missed him so damn much already. The MTV News crew accosted him immediately as he waved at a gathering of nearby fans.

"_Ya know, you guys probably all should have asked me before trying to dig up what you could find on Bella. Newton's her ex-fiancé all right. He's an ex. Get a clue. The story that I got from Bella AND her friends was that Newton was an abuser. He abused her mentally, emotionally, and physically. It's a wonder she got away from his ass at all. She's not mentally unstable and she's not available for comment right now. We met in Seattle in person, but had been corresponding by letter, email, and telephone for several months before that. She's an amazing woman but she's very shy and not used to all this media attention. If you guys would all just back the hell off for a little while, when she's ready, you can all meet her. I guarantee you'll all fall in love with her just like I have."_

My heart melted watching Edward on the TV. It was surreal. There he was on national television defending me and proclaiming his love for me. I was astonished that he had actually revealed that much about his real life as he rarely talked about it in interviews. I turned the idiot box off. I had seen all I needed to. Edward was going to take care of me just like I was going to take care of him and really… what else is there? Taking care of each other was the best we could do.

Saturday morning came far too early for my liking. I had been up on the phone with Edward very late the night before. He was pretty hyped after the show and had called me no less than three times. It sounded like he was partying quite a bit and it was kind of funny to have your rapper boyfriend drunk dialing you at three in the morning just so he could giggle into the phone and tell you how much he missed you and just wanted to hear your voice. From the sounds of it, he was still partying the last time he called me. I vaguely wondered exactly how drunk he was. He tended not to get too plastered when I was with him. He was kinda funny when he was drunk though.

We were due for the visitation at nine so I crawled out of bed, showered, and then spent a half hour trying to decide what to wear. I finally called Alice for couture advice and forgot that it was two hours earlier in Seattle so I woke her up at like 5:30 in the morning. Of course, ADHD-girl that she was, she didn't care. It sounded like she bounded out of bed and started bouncing around to talk to me. I missed Alice and wondered when I would see her next.

With Alice's help, I chose a pair of casual designer slacks and a blouse. Nice, but not too nice. I needed to look like I had my shit together, but not like I was being a fucking snob, as Alice had put it.

Mary had Abby ready to go by eight and we met in the kitchen to eat breakfast and get on our way. Edward's dad showed up about five after eight and was incredibly nice to me after our meeting a couple of days before. I was grateful for his support and apologies. He told me he realized that his comments were misplaced and that I could depend on him and Esme for anything I might need during the upcoming months of hell. I had responded that what I needed most was for him to support Edward, which I think surprised him at the time, but now that he knows me, it doesn't surprise him at all anymore.

We arrived at Millennium Park just before nine. It was the designated meeting place. Edward had rented a suite at The Palmer House hotel just around the corner for the day, but we were all to meet out in the open before going there. Abby was restless and kept asking Mary and me if we were staying with her. We assured her we weren't going anywhere multiple times, but she continued to ask anyway. We were sitting on a bench near "The Crown Fountain" watching the faces change when the Denali clan arrived.

"Here they come," Carlisle said in a hushed voice to get my attention and pointed them out.

When they arrived, Abby didn't run to them, she didn't even move away from me. She just gripped my hand tighter. Carlisle handled the introductions and Tanya's sister Kate walked over and picked Abby up after we had all been introduced. Abby immediately started crying and reaching for me.

"It's okay, Abby. I'm not leaving. Go see your aunts and your grandparents. I'll be right behind you." Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

"What right do you even have to be here?" Tanya's mother, Carmen, asked in a rather snotty tone.

I glanced at Carlisle and said, "Abby and Edward asked me to be here. It was cleared with the attorneys and the judge. If you have a problem with it, I suggest you take it up with them when Abby's not around." Carlisle patted me on the back and we started following the group down the street to the hotel.

The suite had a bedroom, dining room, and living area in addition to the bathroom. Carlisle, Mary, and I went to the bedroom and left the door open. The court appointed person who was to 'officially' supervise the visit remained in the living area with Abby and the Denalis and I found it rather hilarious that she chose to remain with them. The three of us had each brought books and laptops so we were able to entertain ourselves for the four-hour visit. Abby appeared in the doorway several times and just looked in at us. She would wave at us when we saw her and run back to playing in the other room. I strained my ears to hear what was being said, but all of their voices were hushed. It irritated me.

Two hours into the visit there was a knock at the door of the suite. I looked over at Carlisle who looked back at me and shrugged. He got out of the chair he was sitting in next to the window to see what was going on. I thought maybe lunch was being delivered. Oh, if it had only been that easy.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Carlisle seethed as he walked into the other room. I tossed my laptop on the bed and high-tailed it out to the living area. There she was. The bitch that started it all. Tanya. She was in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, and flanked on both sides by policemen. I immediately whipped out my phone and texted Edward. This wasn't going to be good.

After the door closed, the cops took her handcuffs off and she ran over to Abby who looked terrified.

"Noooooo! Don't want you!" Abby screamed when Tanya picked her up.

"Abby, it's Mommy! Come on, give me a hug and kisses! I've missed you!" I was pretty sure I was going to be sick to my stomach. My phone started vibrating and I stepped back into the bedroom to talk to Edward. I slammed the door as I answered the phone.

"What the fuck is she doing there?" Edward yelled into the phone.

"I have no idea, Edward. She just showed up. Nobody said a word to any of us about it. Edward, she was handcuffed and accompanied by two cops when she got here. Abby SAW her mother like that. I don't know what to do."

"Is that Abby screaming?"

"Yeah, Tanya picked her up and she started screaming."

"Get back out there. Don't let that bitch out of your sight. I'm calling Demetri."

I walked back into the living room to find Carlisle arguing with Tanya.

"She obviously doesn't want you holding her, Tanya. Put her down."

Kate stepped in. "Tanya's her mother and she has more right to be here than that _slut_ does!" She pointed at me.

"Watch who you're calling a slut. I'm here for Abby and all of you need to quit arguing in front of her." I stared right at Tanya who was smirking at me.

Tanya was a little taller than me with strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes. She was pretty, but looked as though she had been ridden hard and put away wet a few times. She wasn't wearing any makeup and her hair was in a loose pony-tail at the back of her neck. The orange jumpsuit was definitely not her color and I could tell that she was thin. Very thin. She tried to stare me down, but I wasn't about to avert my eyes. Abby was fighting her and trying to get away from her so she finally set her back on the floor in exasperation. Abby immediately ran over to me and I picked her up.

"This wasn't part of the deal. Why weren't we informed you were coming?" I asked Tanya directly.

"Well, bitch, I don't have to inform you of shit. My father and my attorney made the arrangements for me to be here this morning. She's my daughter. Put her down and get the fuck out."

Abby was sobbing on my shoulder and clinging to me for dear life. I couldn't possibly put her down; she'd never trust me again if I did. I was appalled at Tanya's language in front of her daughter and didn't want Abby to be a part of it anymore.

The court appointed 'supervisor' just _sat_ there like a freaking bump on a log. She looked around at all of us with wide eyes, but didn't say a damn word. It was a good thing I was trying to calm Abby down because otherwise I probably would have knocked her ass out on my way to knock the shit out of that bitch who called herself a mother.

"I've called Edward who's calling his attorney. I'm taking her in here to calm her down until he calls back. Don't mess with me, Tanya. You may have thought you were able to push Edward around before, but I assure you that I'm here to stay and we're prepared to play hardball. Nobody is cowering down to your demands anymore."

"Don't threaten me you fuckin' bitch!" she screamed. "Give me my daughter!" She started to cross the room and I backed into the bedroom and slammed the door in her face as the officers each grabbed her arms. She started pounding on the door and screaming at me and I could hear the scuffle as the officers took her down outside the door. I retreated to the bathroom and locked the bathroom door before sitting down on the floor with Abby and we both cried. I cried because Abby had to witness that, and Abby cried because she was so freaked out that she couldn't stop.

Edward called back a moment later and said that Demetri had been across the street from the Palmer at his office and was on the way over. I told him, skipping a few details, what had happened. He. Was. Pissed. He thanked me multiple times for being there for Abby before asking to talk to her. I gave her the phone and she was still sniffling and hiccupping while she talked to him, but he seemed to be able to calm her down. Mary knocked on the bathroom door and when I stood to let her in, Abby jumped on me. I picked her up and reassured her that it was just Mary.

When Demetri arrived, Tanya was still throwing a fit, although she was restrained and in handcuffs, according to what Mary told me. The officers were threatening to take her back to jail if she didn't calm down, but Eleazar, Tanya's dad, had convinced them to let her stay for a few minutes. After all, I had kidnapped (I know, I said "What the fuck?" too) her daughter and locked her in a bathroom and she only had an hour to be able to see her.

When all was said and done, Demetri came and told me that I didn't have to make Abby go out and see Tanya since it hadn't been cleared by the judge. He had, in fact, called the judge and the judge was highly unhappy at the turn things had taken. The 'supervisor' had been fired on the spot over the phone by the judge. That was good riddance as far as I was concerned.

Tanya was removed by the cops that accompanied her, but Tanya's family was demanding to have the rest of their time with Abby.

"Demetri, there's no way I'm making her go back out there with those people. God knows what crap they would try to fill her head with and I JUST got her calmed down. Isn't there any way to end the visit now?"

Demetri nodded and fished out his cell. He called Edward first, and then the judge. After about two minutes on the phone, he nodded to me and said, "Done. I'll be right back."

He walked back out to deliver the news to the Denalis. I heard Eleazar, Irina, and Kate all start yelling. I just tried to cover Abby's ears and talk to her to keep her calm. I assured her that I wasn't making her go back out there and that we would get home as quickly as we could. When the yelling stopped and I heard the door close, Demetri came back to the bedroom door and motioned me out. He sat down with Carlisle and me to talk to us about things. Abby stayed close by with Mary, but was watching television and no longer crying.

We took Abby home, fed her lunch, and Mary went to lay her down for a nap. I was so relieved the whole thing was over. While she was napping, I sat down with Carlisle and Esme for a bit and we all found that this meeting went over much better than our last. They both even thanked me for being so supportive of Edward and promised to do whatever they could for us.

That afternoon, Demetri came over and we had a conference call with him, Edward, and the judge to report what had happened. I had to be the star witness for that and didn't care for it at all, but I told the story exactly as it had happened.

Edward asked for all visitation to be stopped and the judge agreed. Demetri said he would draw up the papers for temporary sole custody and have them signed by the judge on Monday. This was going to accomplish a couple of things. One, we wouldn't have to bring Abby to Chicago every two weeks for visits, Two, we'd be able to take her out of the country without Tanya's consent. The fact that it would protect Abby from having to see those people was a given.

Demetri also said he was filing new custody documents for the final trial for sole custody for Edward. The judge laid out a few things that he would like to see proof of over the next weeks, like how we were managing Abby on the road, what her schedule was, etc. I was even more thankful for Mary than I had been before. She would make sure that all the appropriate paperwork was filled out and that Abby's schedule was maintained.

Tanya's sentencing hearing for her drug and prostitution charges was coming up the following week. Our judge made sure we understood that he would speak with the judge that was overseeing that trial and make sure he knew what had happened with Tanya at the visitation. He speculated that she could be looking at some serious jail time. I was thrilled at that prospect.

The day ended with a family dinner courtesy of Esme. It was a good end to a terrible day. Abby was very clingy to me after her nap and throughout dinner. I felt terrible for her and would be glad when we were back with Edward.

That night after Edward's show in Dallas, he had apparently gone directly to the bus and called me. We were on the phone forever it seemed. We talked about things so easily, it was as though we had been together forever, not just for a few weeks. I found myself thinking of being with Edward in terms of eternity and had never felt that way about anyone before. Something in me told me that Edward and I were meant to be together more than ever.

Sunday morning, Abby, Mary, and I flew to Houston to meet Edward. He looked exhausted, but thrilled to see us. Abby was mighty happy to see her daddy, too. We quickly settled back in together and embarked on the tour with a newfound enthusiasm.

Sunday night Edward played Houston and then we headed for New Orleans sometime in the middle of the night. We awakened in New Orleans on Monday morning and it was so damn hot! Being from Seattle, I had never quite experienced heat and humidity like was present in the south and I found myself rather miserable and feeling really lazy, only wanting to lounge around in the air conditioning.

We received faxes of paperwork from Demetri on Monday who promised that the originals would be delivered in person on Tuesday in Shreveport. We read the papers over carefully and were both satisfied that Demetri had covered everything. Edward was pleased and so was I. Things finally seemed to be coming together for us.

Monday night after the concert, Edward took me out to Bourbon Street and even though paparazzi were following us snapping pictures everywhere we went, we were surrounded by bodyguards, all of Edward's crew was with us, and we were accosted by fans wanting autographs everywhere we went, we had a great time together. I loved watching Edward work a crowd of fans. He was so different than he was when we were alone. He introduced me to several groups of fans and although I was embarrassed and my cheeks flushed every time he did, I always smiled, waved, and said "Hi!" to them.

The next day we went to Shreveport and I slept almost all day. I didn't know how Edward did it with all the traveling. I had gotten pretty smashed the night before and then Edward and I had been up much of the night worshipping each other in our drunken stupor. One thing about Edward was that drunk sex with EC Velvet was every bit as good as sober sex with Edward.

From Shreveport we went to Little Rock, had a day off, and went to Oklahoma City. Then we traveled to St. Louis, Kansas City, and Omaha over the next three days. Mary was doing a great job with Abby and Abby seemed to be happy to be with us. We had all of our paperwork in place so when it was time to leave the country, we could take her and go.

After Omaha, we had a few days off as we traversed to Columbus, Ohio. Edward had been invited to play at Horseshoe Stadium at The Ohio State University, which was apparently a big honor. It seemed that some of the alumni who were big contributors were fans and made it possible for him to get the invite. Edward was really excited about it and said that the stadium would house over 100,000 fans and that the show was sold out. Edward's excitement was infectious and I found myself excited as well. But, what I was most excited about was a few days off with Edward.

We pulled into Columbus late Monday night for a Thursday show. I was so relieved that we had the time off. Edward had several appearances planned, but he wasn't too terribly booked. We checked in to a hotel called "The Lofts" and had a beautiful suite.

Tuesday morning we slept in until eleven. We were so tired! Abby was already up and running up and down the hall outside of our room. With all of us who were staying there, we had an entire floor of the hotel to ourselves so Abby and Mary had their own suite next door to ours. We opened our door to let Abby in and she came running, all giggles and smiles. We spent the better part of two hours just playing with her, all of us sitting on the floor laughing and giggling.

Mary came and got Abby to put her down for her nap after lunch so Edward and I decided to go out exploring. We put on our silly disguises and picked up the bodyguards in the hallway before hopping on the elevator to go downstairs. When the elevator opened, I took one look at who was standing in the hotel lobby and fainted, dead away.

**_End Note: So, we're in Columbus, Ohio. Next up is Cincinnati, Detroit, and Minneapolis! Review for Velvet's Vixens bus pass and VIP passes to shows in your city! Now for a bit of important business. _**

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**_Please vote for me in The Mystic Awards. Ascension was nominated for Best Bella and I'm really excited about that!_**

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**Any of you who have been with me very long realize that I owe my fanfic writing career to Miss Lillie Cullen. She's my beta, among other things, and a wonderful friend to me. I have an important announcement from her regarding an original story that she is writing. It is AMAZING! PLEASE trust me on this! It's her best work by far and I would love for every one of my readers to go to the site, register, vote, follow it, and show her some love! Also, she posted the first chapter of the final installment of "The Lessons Trilogy" today, A Lesson in Love, so after you go read her original story, come back to FFn and read ALIL. You won't be sorry!**

**www(dot)textnovel(dot)com/stories_list_?story_id=1521 You know the drill of removing the (dot )'s…. **

**What follows is per Lillie, her official announcement of the original story!**

_**Manhunt - An Original Romantic Suspense Novel by Lillie Cullenhttp:// www . textnovel . com / stories_list_detail . php?story_id=1521Take out the spaces or click link on my profile (Lillie's which can be found on mine)**_

Michael Brennan and Nikki Wright shared a bond created by love, loss, and hardship. Michael's life was finally taking a turn for the better while Nikki's was descending into darkness, until one fateful night changed everything. Just how much is Michael willing to give up for love? How far is he willing to run?

_"Have you seen this man? His name is Michael Brennan and he has been identified by Federal authorities as a person of interest in the shooting death of Sebastian Cross and the disappearance of Nicole Wright. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Michael Brennan should call the Federal Crimestoppers Alert line at 888-555-1234. Coming up next on News at 11..."_

This story has been on my mind for a long time. I even considered altering it and making it a Darkward fanfiction story at one point, but ultimately realized that it would be like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. These characters needed to stand on their own two feet. Eight chapters have been posted so far, and if I may be so humble, I believe it is my best work to date.

You need to create a login at textnovel to read it, it will lead you to where you need to go. The story's rating is determined by the number of votes (thumbs up button) and story alerts (cell phone button) the story receives, which means each reader can add two points to my rating! Going to my profile and clicking "Follow" will put me on author alert. The only downside to this site is the fact that it limits each chapter posting to 500 words, which means you'll be clicking the 'next' button - a lot. But from what I've been told...it's more than worth it. :) Can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Please help me get the word out about Manhunt. Tell your friends, put it on your blog and in your author's notes, Twitter it...you get the idea! Thank you so much for your support - I love you all!

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**_Uh, don't forget to clicky on the little button right below here and leave me a review before you do anything else! Thanks!_**


	24. Conundrum

**_A/N Hi everyone! This chapter was utter FAIL for me for the last 10 days, but I think I finally got it where I want it. Let me know what you think. ;) _**

**_I need to send HUGE thank yous to EVERYONE who helped me with this chapter. All of you who held my hand, backed me off the ledge, assured me that it didn't suck, begged me not to delete it and start over... I love you guys. Amy, Tami, Nan, Tammy, and Lea... I love you all HARD. _**

**_Lea and Tammy ~ Thank you SO MUCH for pinch hit beta'ing for me while Lillie is basking in the sun on her vacay! _**

_Disclaimer: Characters from Twilight are not owned by me, they are owned by Stephenie Meyer. Lucky bitch. This story line and all of my own characters, however, ARE owned by me, so there._

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_**Edward**_

_Sonofabitch what's that motherfucker doing here?_

Just as I saw him, Bella made a tiny noise and started to go down. I caught her just before she hit the floor of the elevator. "Get him out of here!" I seethed at my bodyguards as I sat down against the wall and tried to wake Bella. I had expected there to be people she knew in the lobby, but not that asshole. The elevator doors started to close when he started running towards them.

"Bella! Get away from that dickhead right now!"

The doors closed before he made it to them and he was met with the angry faces of two of my personal bodyguards. These weren't the hired help that were along for the tour, no, these were the guys that protected me and my family all the time. It wasn't going to be pretty for that motherfucker, and I preferred the less pretty the better. I hoped they laid his ass out.

I gently laid Bella on the floor and hit the button to take us back to our floor. She was still out cold and it was worrying me a little. I gathered her back into my arms and stood, looking down at her. I noticed that she was extremely pale and had dark circles under her eyes. _Fuck. She's fucking exhausted. Why didn't I notice this? Shitdamnfuckpisshell._

When I got her back into our room, I laid her on the bed and went to get a cold washcloth for her. I sat next to her and began sponging her face with the washcloth hoping she would wake up soon. When she did, I kind of wished she hadn't. She sat straight up on the bed and started screaming.

"No! Get him out of here! Edward!"

"Bella, shhh, it's alright. I'm here." She looked at me with wild eyes and burst into tears.

"Wha… what happened?"

"You fainted, baby. Are you okay?" Her breathing was erratic and I held her close to me, trying to calm her down, but she was kind of freaking me the fuck out. Finally, she sank into my arms and started to calm down, but only a little.

"Oh my God, Edward, can anything else happen to us?" I smiled because I knew that a lot more _could_ happen. I just knew I didn't want anything else _to_ happen.

"It's not your fault, Bella. I'm sure he's here because of what I told the reporters in Denver. It's been plastered all over all the newspapers, tabloids, and on television for a few days now. I'm sure he's pissed."

"It doesn't matter. He has no right!" I just wanted her to calm down and rest. She didn't look good, and sounded a little short of breath.

"Bella? Have you been feeling okay, babe? You don't look so good." She shrugged, as I expected her to.

"I'm just a little tired. I'm okay."

"I think you're more than just a little tired. I want you to change into something comfy and stay in bed today, okay? I think you need some rest. You look fucking exhausted. I'm going back downstairs while you get changed, but I'll be back as soon as I see what's going on down there." I kissed her on the forehead and hugged her tight. She was short of breath, nearly panting, and not in the good way.

"Okay, okay, I'll stay in bed, if you'll come back and stay with me."

"Are you alright? You're still shaking. You really need to calm down, Bella. I'm not letting that jackass anywhere near you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just spooked. I'll be fine, really."

"Uh huh."

"I promise, I'm fine, Edward."

"Okay, I'll be back." She wasn't going to give an inch and I really didn't want to argue with her.

"Okay… Edward?"

"What, baby?"

"I love you." I smiled. Those words were the most precious words I could ever hear from her.

"Love you, too, Bella." I headed down the hall to the elevator and waited impatiently for it to take me back down to the lobby to see what the hell was happening.

This time when the elevator opened, there was nobody in the lobby, but there were sure a hell of a lot of people outside, including two cop cars. _Shit._

I strolled out to see what was up and saw a very bloody Mike Newton laying on the ground rolled up in a ball. Fuck, he may as well have been crying for his mommy. Surrounding him were my two bodyguards, Emmett, Jasper, and four cops. Alice and Rosalie were leaning against the limo that was parked in the drive. When they saw me come out, Alice started bouncing towards me.

"Where's Bella? Upstairs?"

"Yeah, she fainted."

"She what?" Rosalie asked.

"She fainted. She's exhausted I think. I'm trying to decide whether to let her try to sleep it off here or take her to the hospital. I think she's just had more than she can handle the last few weeks. It's my fault." I was really ashamed of myself for letting Bella get that tired. I'd been in the hospital for exhaustion before. It wasn't fun. But, it was easy to do when you were on the road like we were, and all the bullshit with Tanya's family had taken its toll. I began to worry about Abby, but I knew that Mary was keeping her on a tight schedule. I, on the other hand, was keeping Bella out at concerts late at night, keeping her awake for hours afterwards, making her sleep on a damn bus… I should have been shot. I had forgotten how hard it was the first time.

Alice and Rosalie both looked at me sympathetically. I was surprised at Rose, because I figured she'd kill me, but she was genuine in her concern. Miracles do happen.

"Edward, come on, it's not your fault. Can we go up and see her? Maybe we can help take care of her for a few days, right Rosalie?"

"Absolutely. We don't have to be out running around with her to enjoy seeing her."

I handed Rosalie the keycard to the room and told them which room it was. They took off to see her and I went to find out what had happened with the douche. Emmett was arguing with the cop when I got over to the scene of Mike's apparent beating.

"Dude, he was stalking his ex-girlfriend. I was just protecting her!"

"Sir, you need to calm down and have a seat over there on that bench. I'll get to you."

Emmett threw his head around in a circle like a little kid and stomped over to the indicated bench to sit. He crossed his arms and sat there staring, making me think that if he ever wanted a job, he could certainly be one of my bodyguards. The guy was huge. He was taller than me, which is kind of amazing because I'm 6'3". Must have made him about 6'4" at least. He had gigantic arms and huge hands. He looked almost like a damn bodybuilder. Rosalie and him just didn't add up in my brain, but they seemed to be crazy about each other.

I tapped Matt on the shoulder and he said, "The big blonde haired guy got to him first." I nodded. Should have known. Emmett and the group must have been right outside the doors waiting on us when we went down. As soon as Mike came out the door, Emmett had snagged him.

I walked over to the nearest police officer who was writing on his little pad and stuck my hand out. "Hello, officer. I'm Edward Cullen. What seems to be the problem here?"

He regarded me briefly before answering. "You're that rapper guy, right?"

I chuckled. "Yeah. I'm that rapper guy." I gestured to Emmett, Jasper, and my other two bodyguards and said, "These guys are my bodyguards. This guy here," I pointed at Newton, still lying on the ground, "is my girlfriend's ex. He's been stalking her and causing quite a bit of trouble for her while she's been on tour with me. If you need to arrest someone here, arrest me. I told them to get rid of him. I didn't mean for them to kill him or anything, I just didn't want him bothering her anymore. She's upstairs because she fainted when she saw him. He really scares her." I tried not to look too smug as Emmett stared at me incredulously and Newton rolled around on the ground and moaned in pain.

"All four of these men are your bodyguards?"

"Yes, sir." The officer looked over at Emmett who was trying like hell to look innocent.

"That true?"

"Yeah, uh… it is… sir." Emmett nodded his head as if to punctuate the truthfulness of our lie.

The police officer shoved his notebook into his shirt pocket, then took it out again and handed it to me. "Could I, uh, get your autograph for my kid?" I smiled and took the notebook. _Ducks in a barrel._

I signed autographs for all four officers and they picked up Newton and threw him in the back of a police car. "We'll see that he gets medical attention and gets on a plane back to wherever he came from," one of the cops assured me, "Unless you want to press charges?"

"Seattle. Just send his ass back to Seattle. Make sure he doesn't feel the need to follow Bella around anymore."

"Sure thing, Mr. Cullen. Thank you."

I noticed that Jasper was casually leaning against a pillar and staring at me. I looked at him after the cops pulled away.

"You lied," he drawled slowly.

"Yeah."

"Newton's gonna tell them the truth."

"So?" I wasn't really sure what Jasper was getting at.

"The son of a bitch will be back unless something of more of a permanent nature is done." I glanced around to make sure we hadn't gathered a crowd, which thankfully, we hadn't. Yet.

"Let's discuss this inside, Jasper."

"Alright," he said as he headed in the door. We all got in the elevator and I noted that Jasper was texting someone on his cell. I turned to look the other direction, as I wasn't sure what he was up to.

When we arrived at my hotel room door, I turned to him and asked what he meant.

"I just mean that somebody needs to put the fear of God in that asshole. He needs to leave her alone, privately and publicly. I'm gonna take care of it, but I don't want the girls knowing anything about it. It stays between us guys."

"Agreed." I had no idea what Jasper was going to do, but I was pretty sure at that point that I didn't want to know. He sounded like he meant business.

Jasper was oddly calming when he spoke and I thought about this as we entered the room. He was my height, but more lanky than me. His blonde hair and bright blue eyes were in stark contrast of his dark demeanor. He wasn't exactly frightening, just quiet, and calm. Always calm. He was Alice's polar opposite, which was probably why they worked so well together.

The squeals of three best friends who had been reunited assaulted our ears as we entered the suite. I could hear Bella's laughter, which sounded like Christmas bells to me, and it sounded wonderful. I was really happy that I had arranged for her friends to meet us. It would be good for her to have them around for a few days. Alice was talking a mile a minute and her speech was laced with tinkling laughter, so different from Bella's. I could also hear Rosalie talking occasionally, whose voice was a little deeper than Bella and Alice's, not to mention the fact that she just sounded naturally bitchy. She and Emmett, too, were polar opposites. He was happy-go-lucky while Rosalie was all business and… bitchy. There was no other way to describe her.

I strolled over and leaned against the doorjamb of the bedroom, arms and ankles crossed, and smiled at my girl who looked like she was having the time of her life, even if she was fucking exhausted.

"Edward! Oh my God!" she shouted and hopped off the bed to run over to me and hug me.

"You like your surprise, baby?"

"What, are you kidding? It's so great to see my friends. Thank you, Edward, so much."

I kissed the top of her head before telling her, "You're welcome, babe. I'd do anything to see you smile like that." I meant it. I would. She had the most beautiful smile that lit up her whole face, including her eyes.

Bella released me and charged into the other room to greet Jasper and Emmett who both had hugs waiting for her. I watched the reunion of the friends and thought how lucky Bella was to have this group of friends that loved her so much. Jasper embraced her gently and talked quietly to her when she greeted him. The entire room was awash with his sincerity and kindness. Jasper was such a mystery to me. Who was he, really? Emmett, on the other hand, picked her up and swung her around in a big circle with a hearty laugh.

"Bells! You're too skinny!" he scolded. I winced. She _was_ too skinny. When had she had time to lose so much weight in a few short weeks we had been together?

Bella smacked him on the shoulder. "I'm not too skinny, Em. You just don't remember!" Emmett grinned and scooped her up, holding her over his head. She was damn near on the ceiling.

"Nope, too skinny. What's he been feeding you? Tofu?"

The entire room erupted into laughter and I walked over and called room service to bring a meal up for us. I made sure that I asked for plenty, and they ended up bringing us a veritable buffet of delicious food.

The rest of the afternoon, Emmett, Jasper, and I hung out, played video games, and drank beer. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie watched movies while Bella rested in bed. I peeked in on her a few times, and noticed that she seemed to keep nodding off, but then waking herself up. I wanted to take everyone out to dinner, but didn't want to make Bella get out of bed, so I arranged for Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, and Alice to go out to dinner without us that night and ordered more room service for Bella and me. Thankfully, Mary had taken Abby to the zoo for the day so I didn't have to worry about her being involved with any of the day's drama.

Before the gang left for dinner, Rhianne made sure that they had the keys to their own suites and knew which ones they were. No one argued that Bella and I weren't going. Her friends could all see the frail shape she was in. I decided I was going to call Carlisle for advice.

He insisted on having a colleague of his that practiced in Columbus come to the hotel and have a look at Bella. She protested, but finally gave in when I told her she didn't have a choice. She either had to let the doctor come and take a look at her or I was sending her back to Seattle for a few weeks. I didn't want her to go, but the tour and all the emotional bullshit we had endured the past few weeks was really getting to her, and I knew it.

The doc came after dinner and told me what I had feared. She was physically and emotionally exhausted. She had lost fifteen pounds in the last month and she needed some rest. She was also a little anemic and a lot dehydrated and needed some IV fluids. He asked me to have her drink as much as I could that night and he would bring the IV fluids over in the morning, avoiding admitting her to the hospital. I appreciated that, and called Rhianne to make alternate arrangements for Bella's and my travel for the next leg of the tour. We would soon be back in Chicago for a few days, and for that I was glad. I would better be able to take care of her at home.

Rhianne, of course, had already consulted with Stefan, and they had made arrangements for the plane to take Bella, Abby, Mary, and me to each city for the next several shows. We already had hotel reservations in each city and everything was set. We would travel with a couple of bodyguards and the rest of the guys would keep to the busses. Stefan had already talked it over with them and they had agreed that since Bella and Abby were traveling with me that it made sense for us to fly rather than do the bus thing. If Rhianne ever left me, I'd be totally fucked. She thought of everything before I did.

I went back to Bella and crawled on the bed pulling her to me. She scooted up between my legs and laid her head back against my chest while we watched "Gone In 60 Seconds" on TV.

"What did the doctor say?" Bella waited quite a while before asking, but I knew she would ask. I was prepared to argue with her about taking care of herself.

"He said you've lost fifteen pounds. Why didn't you tell me?" She sat there silently for a few moments and when I looked down at her, I saw that she was chewing on her bottom lip. It was just fucking adorable when she did that. I longed to lean down and suck her bottom lip into my mouth and take over for her, but was trying to be good. The last thing she needed was a marathon fuck. She needed to rest. Still, it was hard to keep my hands and mouth to myself, and my dick was no help at all.

"I was afraid you'd send me home."

I wanted to kick myself right square in the ass. Why had I threatened to send her home earlier when that was what she had feared the most? _Shit. I'm so fuckin' stupid sometimes, I swear._

"Bella." I pulled her up so that I could look at her and she could see my face when I said what I needed to say. "Being on the road isn't easy. It's taken me years to get to the point where I don't have the very same reaction that you're having. This is all my fucking fault. I've forgotten how hard it is when you've never done it before. I didn't even think about it when I asked you to come with me. I was just being fucking selfish. I didn't want to be without you. I feel better when you're with me, I feel whole, but I can't feel that way when you're laying here sick and it's all my fault. I'm so sorry and I'm really sorry I threatened to send you home. I didn't mean that."

She put her hand on my cheek and cupped my face as I spoke and I leaned in to her touch. Every time she touched me, shock waves rolled through my body and I was totally addicted to it. I couldn't get enough.

"I should have told you I was getting tired. I'm the one who should be sorry. Please don't be sorry that you asked me to come."

I leaned in to kiss her, needing to taste her sweet lips. "I'm not sorry I asked you to come. I'm sorry I didn't pay closer attention and take better care of you."

"What else did the doctor say?"

"That you need to rest, eat better, and you need IV fluids, which he's bringing in the morning."

"No."

"No what?"

"No IV fluids. I'll drink, Edward, I promise. I hate needles. Please."

I decided not to argue with her. We'd see in the morning whether she still needed the fluids. She was drinking plenty of water so I chose not to force the issue.

The next day we managed to get away from having to have the IV fluids. The doc wrote her a couple of prescriptions, which Rhianne swooped in and took to get filled. Bella was thrilled that she didn't have to have any needles and lavished my face with kisses.

The doctor told me that the prescriptions were for anxiety medicine and a sleeping pill. He felt that she was suffering from anxiety that she might need some help with, and that maybe the sleeping pills would help her to sleep adequately. I wasn't too sure about the meds, but felt that if this doctor, only having met her twice, thought she needed them, she probably did.

I had some shit I had to do, so I left Bella with the girls for the day. They promised to see that she rested. I took Emmett and Jasper with me and after I was done with the work stuff I had to do, we went and did a little shopping for our ladies.

When we returned that afternoon, Alice and Rosalie were quietly playing with Abby in the living room and Bella was sleeping. They said she had slept most of the day. I was fucking relieved to hear that.

It was Tuesday and Bella was still not strong enough, in my opinion, to go out for dinner, so I again sent her friends out on the town and we stayed in. She did get up and come to the table to eat that night and was starting to look more like herself. The dark circles under her eyes had started to abate and she was beginning to look more healthy.

After supper, she told me, "Edward, I feel like a slovenly pig. I need to take a shower."

"I'm going with you. I don't want you passing out in the hot water." She smiled knowingly and took my hand, leading me to the bathroom.

On arrival in the bathroom, Bella pushed me against the counter and put her soft lips against mine. She kissed me gently, slowly, sucking my lower lip into her mouth and running her tongue across it. When she released it, I chastised her gently. "Don't start something you're in no shape to finish." She smiled and put her lips on mine again while her hand made its way down my chest, sending warm feelings all through me.

"Oh, but I do intend to finish it," she whispered in my ear as her hand met firmly with my package and she stroked my hard cock through my jeans.

My eyes closed involuntarily and I moaned softly. "Bella…"

"Stop it. You want me to feel better, and you're what will make me feel better right now."

I wiggled away from her and turned on the shower, letting the water heat up. I was trying like hell to keep my stupid seventeen-year-old hormones in check. I told myself repeatedly that she was exhausted and didn't know how tiring it would be for her to be ravished at the moment.

I was able to manage to get her in and out of the shower without jumping her, but it wasn't an easy feat and she whined almost constantly. After she was out, I gave her one of the sleeping pills the doc had prescribed for her and put her to bed while we watched "Underworld." Apparently, Bella had some sort of fascination with vampire and werewolf movies. What that was about was beyond me.

On Wednesday, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett took Abby to the Center of Science and Industry for the day. Abby loved the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, so I was sure she would have a great time, especially with Emmett there. I told them repeatedly they didn't have to take her, but they wanted to, so I let them. I had rehearsals and shit I had to do anyway. Bella seemed much more exhausted than she had on Tuesday and opted to spend the day in bed. I was glad the doctor was coming over to look at her again.

Thursday I only had one appearance, early in the morning, on a local radio station. After that, I was free for the rest of the day until show time. When I returned from the radio show appearance, I was surprised to find Bella out of bed, showered, and dressed, hanging out with her friends and Abby in the living area of our suite. She jumped up and rushed to me when I walked in, jumping on me and nearly knocking me down with her enthusiasm. It was awesome.

"EDWARRRRRRD!!!!" Her lips barreled down on mine and kissed me with a fervor that I hadn't felt for a couple of days. I turned away from the rest of the group and carried her over to the wall, shoving her against it so she could feel exactly what she was doing to me, and so that everyone else _couldn't_ see my very obvious reaction.

"Get a fucking ROOM!" Emmett bellowed with a hearty laugh.

I released Bella's lips long enough to smirk at her and say, "Last time I checked, this _was_ my room, Em." Bella giggled and Emmett continued to laugh. At that point, I was so happy that Bella was feeling better, that I really didn't give a shit who saw us. However, we tried to have some decency and stopped before we got carried away.

I did have to excuse myself to the other room for a minute to get my raging hard on to go away. Fucking dick. You would have thought I had no control whatsoever over the damned thing, but I did, before Bella came along. After Bella, I was like a twenty-six year old teenager who had no control at all. I walked around semi-hard most of the time and hard when she was around.

That night on the way to the show, Bella and her friends rode in my limo with me. We all had a great time and were greeted by I don't know how many hundreds of screaming fans when we arrived at the Horseshoe. I watched the responses of my new friends to the crowd that greeted us. Alice was beaming and laughing. Jasper was, as always, serious and calm. He just stood by Alice's side looking sinister, yet harmless. Rosalie looked irritated, which was pretty hilarious, and Emmett looked like he had just won the Heisman or something. Bella didn't even look out at the fans and reporters and photographers. She grasped my hand and looked directly at me, squeezing it tightly. I wondered if she was worried that Newton was there.

"You know he's gone, right?"

"I know." She smiled, but kept her eyes on me.

When it was time to go on stage, I was hyped the hell up. I had a couple of beers on board and Bella and I had been making out off and on for an hour. The house was packed with 106,000 screaming fans and I was on my game, more so now than I felt I had been for a while. I glanced over at Bella where she was with her friends right off stage and waved at her before I turned to the audience and said, "Is there anybody out there that wants to hear something new?"

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**_End Note: Before anyone asks... NO, Bella is NOT pregnant. Just thought I better get that out of the way. ;) Upcoming tour cities are Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Chicago. After that, we're headed south. Please review, review, review... The Velvet's Vixens tour bus has a new feature of a wet bar and a shirtless Emmett is serving drinks! We'll all have VIP passes with full backstage access to every show! _**

**_Have you joined the Manhunt yet? _**

_Manhunt - An Original Romantic Suspense Novel by Lillie Cullen **http:// www . textnovel . com / stories_list_detail . php?story_id=1521 **__Take out the spaces or click link on my profile._

_**Follow me on Twitter! www (dot) twitter (dot) com / JuJuRN40**_

**_Click below to REVIEW! You know you want to, just DO IT!_**


	25. Unstoppable

_**Disclaimer: **If you're reading this, you already know that Stephenie Meyer owns all Twilight characters. This story and all the original characters in this story just happen to be MINE though. Please don't plagiarize my shit. Thanks._

_**A/N: **I could spend fifteen minutes apologizing for the delay, but I'm not going to. Suffice it to say that RL just sucks sometimes. If you want to hear the song that goes with the lyrics in this chapter, please go to www[dot]youtube[dot]com/watch?v=GooXFwD3ZTE It's called Kennedy and is by Ratatat. More on that later. On with the story. See you at the bottom!_

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_**Bella**_

I was so proud to be standing on the side of the stage watching Edward… my boyfriend… perform. My friends were all with me, my fuckhot boyfriend was on stage, 106,000 people were screaming, and he looked over at me, winked, and waved. It made my naughty bits tingle.

I was feeling so much better. I don't know if it was because my friends were there, because I had gotten some well-needed rest, or because I had gotten to spend three nights with Edward that were uninterrupted by concerts, but I wasn't going to question it.

I had to crack up at Emmett, who was bounding all over the place backstage like a kid in a candy store. He was so enthralled by all the goings on that he barely watched the show. He was too busy following stagehands around and asking everyone a zillion questions.

Jasper, on the other hand, was unusually quiet. I mean, he was always quiet, but he was exceptionally quiet that night. He spent a lot of time standing away from the group, either texting or talking on his cell. I wondered if he had a big case going on at work or something. I didn't ask. Jasper has always been fairly reserved, but he usually cut loose a little bit when he was out with all of us. Once I thought about asking Alice what was up, but she appeared to be having the time of her life, so I let it go. It wasn't any of my business anyway. At least, I didn't think it was at the time.

Alice and Rosalie were singing along with every song, dancing, laughing, and carrying on like two teenagers. I guess I really hadn't realized how very much I had missed my friends. I wished there were some way they could stay with us for the rest of the tour, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Rosalie had her dealership to run and would want Emmett by her side. Jasper had way too much work to do to run off on tour for three or four months and just leave it behind. Alice was probably the only one that could have gone with us, but I knew she wouldn't want to be away from Jas for that long.

After Edward winked and waved at me, he turned back to the audience and asked if anyone wanted to hear something new. He never ceased to amaze me. He was always writing, it seemed. He would grab his ever-present legal pad and jot things down. None of it ever made sense to me, but apparently when he did that, he was writing. It was so much of a habit for him that I barely noticed it. He would take the pad, write a few words, and toss it aside.

Edward said, "This is a new song that we just worked up. It's called 'Unstoppable' and I'd like to dedicate it to this beautiful young lady standing over here in the wings." He pointed over to me and I smiled. The crowd roared louder than they had before and I realized that I was suddenly bathed in light and the camera that was doing the filming for the big screens was aimed directly at me. I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and I flushed from head to toe. Alice and Rosalie were squealing and clapping and I really just wanted to kill them both. I was sure I was just going to die at that point. At least I wanted to. I tried to keep a smile on my face and timidly waved at the camera, which just made the crowd scream even louder. I silently pleaded for a hole to open up in the floor and swallow me. The spotlight turned away from me just as Brad started singing and I was instantly blown away by the words. Fortunately, the fucking camera was now trained on him instead of me.

_She makes me want to fly  
This lady's over the top,  
with her I don't want to stop  
Until I reach the sky  
She makes me feel…  
She makes me feel…  
She makes me feel…_

_Unstoppable._

Alice and Rose both flanked me and took my hands. The excitement that passed through the three of us was palpable. Emmett and Jasper moved in behind us and we all stood there together with arms around each other, one big group of friends with nothing but love for each other and the man on stage who started to rap.

_Before her, every day used to be just the same  
Same tit, same tat, such an ornate game  
That I used to play just to keep from feeling lame  
Just to keep on truckin' on towards that fame  
That everyone said that was in store  
For me, I could get all I wanted and more –  
Money, honeys, my face on that TV.  
That was what I wanted, was for everyone to hear me,  
Hear my rhymes, love my lyrical finesse,  
To know EC was born for success,  
Is better than the rest, is here to stay  
To show the world the Velvet Way.  
But now I know where importance lies  
Every time I look into her chocolate eyes  
It feels good – she's all mine,  
And as long as I'm hers I know my sun will shine._

Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt all of my friends' arms around me, holding me and sharing in my moment. It was so perfect.

After the show, Edward and I spent a sum total of one hour backstage, which was odd in a place that was built for football games. He took pictures with some of the VIPs and made his way around the room, had a shot of his special vodka, and then insisted that we go back to the hotel. When we walked outside, there were hoards of screaming fans. I glanced at Edward, who looked deep in thought, so I said, "Why don't the rest of us head back and you stay here for a bit and sign some autographs? Keep your fans happy, Edward. I'll be fine and will be waiting for you when you get to the room." He squeezed my hand tightly and stared at me briefly, studying my face, before he agreed.

He helped me into the limo with my friends and we headed back to the hotel. The four of them were talking non-stop and I was fairly certain that Emmett had put away a whole lot of beer already. Rose was all over him and I wanted to roll my eyes and be sick, but I knew that Edward and I were no better. I couldn't wait for him to get back to the room so that I could get my hands on his gorgeous, tight body.

Jasper's phone signaled a text message and he pulled it out of his pocket to look at it. His low, dangerous chuckle didn't escape my notice. "What's up, Jas?" I asked innocently.

He looked up, stunned, and said, "Oh, nothing. Just a forwarded joke."

I knew better. People did not forward jokes to Jasper. He just wasn't the type. Emmett, on the other hand, had some of the most disgusting things I've ever seen in my life on his cell, and he wasn't afraid to share them with everyone, either.

Jasper tucked his phone back in his pocket and looked out the window while Alice talked animatedly to Rose and me about her purchases while she'd been in Columbus. She said something about not being able to wait until we were all in Chicago together and I was momentarily distracted by finding out that my friends planned to be there when we arrived back in Chicago in a few days for a couple of shows. Emmett was actually going to act as one of our bodyguards, which was totally cool and right up Emmett's alley. It wasn't long, though, before I looked back to Jasper who continued to look out the window with a serene look of satisfaction on his face.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we all clamored out of the car and headed for our floor. When we stepped out of the elevator, I glanced at Jasper and said, "Alice, would you mind if I have Jasper come down to our room and help me with something really quick? It won't take a minute."

Alice threw her arms around me, obviously drunk, and told me that would be great. It would give her a few minutes to get ready for bed in peace. I nodded and hugged her back before turning and walking towards my suite. Jasper followed behind me and as soon as everyone else had closed their doors, he asked what I was up to.

I unlocked the door to my room and walked in, inviting him inside. Once he was in, I shut and locked the door and crossed my arms.

"Jasper, nobody ever questions you about the things you do and the people you know. I know that your clientele consists of a very few chosen people who have, shall we say, connections. What did you do to Mike? Is he dead?"

Jasper sighed with exasperation before answering me. "No, he's not dead, Bella, but I can promise you he'll never bother you again. As soon as he gets out of the hospital, he's moving away from Seattle. Far away. And he won't be coming back."

I raised an eyebrow and shifted my weight. "Hospital?"

"Do you really want to know? Isn't it best to be able to deny it if anyone should come asking?"

"Is anyone going to come asking?" I argued.

Jasper shook his head. "I don't think so, but you never know. Shit happens sometimes." He shrugged and his intense blue eyes bore into me.

I stood my ground, staring at him, willing him to give up and tell me something more than what he had. He stared back at me just as intensely and almost made me lose my resolve.

"Fine. He was visited by some… associates… of mine. He's been properly warned and properly frightened. You won't have to worry about him anymore. He knows that if he pulls another dumbass stunt like he did this week or last, he won't live to see it come to fruition. Are you happy now? Do you want more details? Jesus, Bella. You need to just back off and let your friends take care of you."

I got that he was pissed at me for making him tell me. I just needed to know. Call it morbid curiosity. Call it whatever you want. I just needed to know what he had done. "No, I don't need to know anything else. I guess I should say thank you, even though I don't necessarily approve of your tactics."

Jasper's demeanor softened a bit and he told me, "You're welcome, Bella. It's only because I love you like a sister that I would do something like this. I wouldn't call in a favor that was owed to me for just anyone, you know."

I nodded in understanding and bit my lower lip before Jasper crossed the distance between us and hugged me tight. "Good night, Bella, I'll see you in the morning."

I showered and changed into some of my new lingerie that Alice had picked up for me in town before crawling into the big bed to wait for Edward's arrival at the hotel. I was asleep when he tip-toed in two hours later. I awakened when he slipped into the bed and snuggled up next to me.

"Mmmm, there you are." I turned towards him and wrapped my arms around his naked torso, inhaling his clean scent. He must have showered before getting in bed.

"I didn't mean to wake you, babe." He placed a soft kiss on the top of my head and snaked his arms around me, pulling me close to him.

"I know, but I wanted to be awake when you got here. I need you to make love to me, Edward."

"Don't you think you'd better rest?"

"No. I think I need to feel you inside me more than I need to rest right now," I answered coyly. He groaned and pressed his now growing erection into my stomach. "I'm thinking maybe you need me, too." I giggled and he pulled me up, placing his lips on mine, and kissing me tenderly, but deeply. I opened my mouth to allow him entrance and his tongue slipped inside, tangling with my own, and sending shock waves of pure ecstasy from my mouth right down to my throbbing core. I threw a leg over him and ground against him, letting him feel my heat. He rubbed himself against me in return.

His hand began a slow journey from my knee, up the outside of my thigh, over my hip, up my side, brushing past my breast, and then cupping my face. I ran my hands up and down his back, feeling the muscles there contract and relax under my touch. His lips consumed mine and I closed my eyes so I could concentrate on just feeling him. His hard muscled body against mine, his hands stroking my hair, my face, and my body, his large cock pressed against my heat. I rubbed against him, trying to get the friction I so desperately needed.

In a flash, he was out of his boxers and had laid me bare as well. He crawled atop me and leaned down to kiss my lips before running his tongue along my jaw and circling my earlobe with it. I shuddered with the feeling. My arms broke out in gooseflesh and Edward emitted a low chuckle.

"I love the way your body responds to me." He continued to run his tongue down my neck and across my shoulder, making me shudder more. His tongue then took a languorous journey down my chest and then he pulled my peaked nipple into his mouth and gently pressed his teeth on either side of it. My mouth opened and a gasp escaped.

As he tweaked one nipple with his teeth, he reached over and began rolling the other between his thumb and forefinger, which caused the dampness between my thighs to grow. I pulled my legs up, placing my feet beneath my knees and allowing my knees to fall apart as far as they would go, encouraging Edward to settle himself between them. He allowed his weight to press against me, but wouldn't enter me yet. I was going insane with desire as he alternated between nipples, pulling on them, rolling them, sucking them, nipping at them.

"Oh God," I moaned when his hand slipped down across my belly and dipped between my legs. His fingers slid between my folds and he shivered.

"Fuck, Bella… you're so fucking wet." He dropped his head lower and scooted down the bed.

I leaned up on my elbows to watch him as he leaned in and ran his tongue the length of my slit. Jesus Christ, it felt so fucking good when he circled my clit with his tongue and teased my entrance with his fingers.

"So good… you taste so fucking good," he moaned from between my legs as he slipped his tongue inside me and then ran it back up to flick at my clit again.

My whole body vibrated when he slid his middle finger inside me and started alternately circling and flicking my clit with his tongue. I was so fucking close. I collapsed back on the bed and clutched at the sheets, my body breaking out into a sweat.

"Oh fuck, Edward, God, fuck…" Edward pushed a second finger inside me and curled them both sending me right over the edge as he sucked and nipped at my clit with his lips and tongue.

My orgasm was mind-blowing. I cried out as I tumbled over the edge, clamping my thighs against his head and trembling. His movements slowed and he slid his fingers out of me, running them up my slit and gently circling my clit one more time before moving up to kiss my lips. I could taste myself on his mouth, which just heightened my arousal that was already building again.

I slid out from under him and pushed him over on his back, wanting to return the favor. He pushed my hair out of my face and tucked it behind my ear as I leaned in to kiss him again while sliding my hand down to find his hard cock. My fingers wrapped around it and I felt his entire body jerk. I sat up and grinned at him as I moved down and leaned over, about to take his cock in my mouth.

"Bella, no, you don't need to… oh shit… fuck." I didn't give him a chance to finish, or allow him to push me away. I wanted to taste him, needed to taste him, and was determined to do so.

I swirled my tongue around the head of his dick and then enveloped him within my mouth. He groaned and pushed his pelvis forward, pushing himself into me. I took as much as I could, keeping my hand wrapped around the base. He was big. Really big. I knew I'd never be able to take all of him into my mouth, but I was bound and determined to take as much as possible. I ran my tongue up and down his length, pumping him gently with my hand. I squeezed and released him and reveled in the primal sounds he was making.

I used his body language and his moans as my guide while I increased the tempo of my movements. I sucked harder, moved my hand faster, swirled my tongue more, but finally he grabbed my head and panted, "Please, Bella, I need… I need to be inside you… when I come. I need you to come with me."

I felt a flood between my legs at his words and released his cock. He immediately pushed me over onto my back and mounted me, placing his cock at my very wet entrance. I smiled and let a moan out of my open mouth as he pushed inside me, filling me completely, making me gasp at his size. His motions were so slow and yet so urgent, that it was maddening. He pulled at my legs and soon I found that my ankles were on his shoulders and he was driving into me. His weight against my legs was amazing. It felt so fucking good. I started running my hands down my sides and I felt him jerk.

"Fuck, yeah! Oh God, Bella, touch yourself… fuck… that's right…" he cried. I smiled and closed my eyes, allowing my hands to wander as his steady strokes pounded away at my body. He was clutching at my legs and I felt his motions quicken. I was so close, but didn't want him to come before I did. After all, he had asked that I come with him, and I didn't want to deny him that. I dipped one hand between my legs and found where we were joined, feeling his cock slide in and out of me and letting my wetness coat my fingers.

A guttural sound that sounded almost like a growl came from Edward and I pulled my hand back just enough to press against my throbbing clit. I opened my eyes to find Edward's green ones boring into me, his face intense with pleasure. The coil tightened. Edward wrapped his arms around my legs and pulled me up higher, slamming his pelvis hard against me. I could feel his cock pulsating inside me and I stroked at my clit just hard enough to send me past the point of no return.

"Oh God, Edward, yes. I'm… I'm… I'm… coming… oh fuck… oh God…" I moaned with his every stroke against me.

"Bella… Fuck…" I could feel his release filling me with warmth as I spasmed around his cock. We both broke out with gooseflesh and our bodies shuddered together.

Edward released my legs and they moved back to the bed of their own volition because the synapses of my brain were all lost in ecstasy. I couldn't even think enough to tell my legs where to go. My knees fell open and Edward collapsed atop me, hungrily searching for my lips, kissing me, caressing my mouth with his tongue. Whispered words of love permeated the air from both of us and the sweet smell of fresh sex invaded my nose. We rolled to our sides, still clinging to one another, Edward's softening cock still inside me, but slowly slipping away. We slept that way, clinging to each other and feeling the closeness of two people who were so in love and who had just shared the most wonderful experience.

The next days were busy and filled with traveling, concerts, and appearances. I had to say goodbye to my friends, but looked forward to them being back with us the next weekend in Chicago. We flew to every show, no matter how near or far away, for the next week. We went to Dayton, then King's Island in Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, and finally, the following Friday we were back in Chicago for a few days. We had shows in Chicago on Friday and Saturday night along with nearly a week's rest before we were to head out for Nashville, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando.

Upon our arrival in Chicago, the first thing we did, because it was a beautiful day, was to take the Ferrari out for a drive. Edward's garage was a thing of beauty. I was surprised at the number of cars he owned, although he had pointed out the silver Volvo to me and told me he mostly drove it. I had walked along and touched the Alfa Romeo, the Rolls, the Escalade, the Aston Martin, the Porsche, the BMW, the Corvette, the Mercedes… I was fascinated. I remembered him telling me he collected cars, but we hadn't talked about it much.

Abby went to spend the weekend with Carlisle and Esme the first night we were in town, Friday. After we had her safely delivered to their house and had said our hello's, we headed downtown to Edward's Lake Shore Drive apartment. From what little I knew of Chicago, I knew that a penthouse apartment on Lake Shore Drive with views looking out over Lake Michigan was expensive. I marveled at all the things Edward had, yet he was so alone.

"How come you buy all this stuff, Edward? You don't really seem to be the materialistic type, yet you own a huge home, a downtown apartment, a car collection anyone would be jealous of, and don't think I didn't see the five motorcycles you have as well."

Edward shrugged and chuckled, almost sounding embarrassed. "My accountant insists that I purchase certain things so I don't have to give all my money to the government."

I giggled. "Makes sense."

He reached across the car and grasped my hand. "At least now I have someone else to lavish gifts on rather than just spending all my money on myself and Abby."

I leaned over and kissed him. "You don't have to lavish me with gifts, Edward. You're all I want."

He smiled, a beautiful crooked smile that warmed my heart, and released my hand, reaching over to open the glove box. "That's the part that makes me want to buy you stuff, Bella. Here, I had my jeweler fix this up for you. I hope you like it," he said, shoving a box into my hands.

My hands started to shake as I stared down at the box holding some type of jewelry in it. It wouldn't be cheap; I knew that. No one had ever bought me expensive jewelry before and I wasn't sure how to handle it.

"Well? Are you gonna open it, or stare at it?" Edward asked with a grin.

I smiled back as I opened the box and gasped at what was inside. It was a tennis bracelet of diamonds and sapphires. The stones were all huge and the sapphires were emerald cut while the diamonds were marquis cut. I took the bracelet out of the box and marveled at how it sparkled in the sunlight. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry I had ever seen.

"Oh, Edward, it's beautiful," I said softly, turning it over and over in my hands, trying not to drop it because my hands were shaking even worse now.

"I can send it back and have it be all diamonds if you want. I thought you might like the sapphires too, though, since that's your birthstone."

"I love it, Edward. You shouldn't have. It's perfect."

I put the bracelet around my wrist and fastened it, then held it out for him to see. He grabbed my hand and pulled it to his mouth to kiss it just before turning into the parking garage of his apartment.

Later that afternoon, as promised, my friends arrived and woke me up from my nap. Edward had laid down with me, but hadn't stayed long, saying he needed to make some phone calls. He looked a bit perplexed when I got up to greet our friends and I questioned him with my eyes. He shook his head and smiled, as if to try to tell me everything was fine, but I knew it wasn't.

We went to the concert and Emmett made a big show of acting as bodyguard. He wore his official credentials proudly and nearly knocked out a couple of young girls who had broken the barrier and run up to get Edward's autograph.

"Whoa, careful there, big guy," Edward told him, grinning. He signed the autographs for the girls who ran off screaming. "Just don't let any weirdos near Bella, okay, Em?"

The concert was perfect, of course. Edward really seemed to enjoy playing for his hometown crowd, and they seemed to enjoy it as well. Afterwards, when all of the partying and schmoozing was done, we all headed back to Edward's apartment, where it didn't escape my notice that he seemed to enjoy my friends every bit as much as I did. They were our friends now, and I was happy for Edward to have some. A couple of the guys in the group joined us for a short while at the apartment, where there was a wonderful catered meal waiting for us. The rest of the guys had gone home to see their families. When all the excitement died down, Edward and I excused ourselves to bed, where we climbed into the giant bed that looked out a wall of glass onto the lake. We made love before going to sleep, and once again slept in each other's arms. It was peaceful and glorious. I never wanted it to end.

On Saturday, Edward had a meeting with Demetri so he sent me shopping with Alice and Rosalie. I was well aware that there was to be a court hearing on Tuesday for the custody suit and was sure that Edward had a lot of business to attend to where that was concerned. I was worried about him taking all of that onto himself, but he assured me he was fine and handed me a wad of cash and the black credit card that he always sent me shopping with.

While we were out, Alice and Rosalie helped me pick out a few things and we found a dress that was perfect for me to wear to the show that night. It was sapphire blue with sparkling crystals for accent and went with my bracelet, which I hadn't taken off yet, perfectly. Well, okay, I took the bracelet off to shower, but other than that, I had been wearing it ever since Edward gave it to me, which really seemed to please him.

All three of us were loaded down with purchases when we returned to the apartment and Edward looked genuinely happy that I had bought some things for myself rather than buying more things for Abby and him than I had for me. In fact, Edward seemed happier than I had ever seen him. Once everything was put away and everyone was relaxing, I went to the kitchen to find him so I could ask him about it. He was sitting at the breakfast bar with his laptop and closed it when I walked in.

What's up, Bella? Aren't you tired? You wanna lay down for a while? I'll come lay down with you." He started to stand but I walked up to him and put my arms around him, laying my head against his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to tell me about your meeting?" I asked softly.

"There's not much to tell that wouldn't be boring. We just talked about how things were going to go down. You know that all of your friends are here as character witnesses, right?"

"Yes, I know. I don't see how I need so many character witnesses, but whatever Demetri says is probably correct," I answered, sighing.

"Your dad's coming."

There was no warning, no advance notice at all, Edward just blurted it out. I was confused and shocked.

"Charlie's coming? Why?" I stood and looked at Edward as though he had just hit me. Why couldn't he have warned me?

Edward shrugged. "I'm sorry I didn't give you more notice, Bella. I sent my plane to pick him up earlier. He'll be here in a couple of hours. He just… well, he needs to be here for court, and for you."

"Edward, I'm not the one who needs people to support them in this. You are. I don't understand at all."

Edward stood and took me in his arms. "Please just trust me, okay? It's all for the best, I promise. I would never do anything to hurt you."

I hugged him and mumbled, "Okay, I trust you," into his chest, but I still didn't understand exactly why he and Demetri thought that my father needed to be there. Mostly, I wasn't sure I was ready to face Charlie yet. We were okay, but I wasn't exactly in a mood to entertain him, and he would need entertaining while he was in Chicago.

_

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_

_**End Note: **So? What did you all think of EC Velvet rapping? Unfortunately, I can't take credit for that. One of my WONDERFUL readers wrote that for me. All my thanks to PianoGoddess31 for taking the time to write ECV a rhyme!_

_I've just got to give major props to anyone who read/voted for Manhunt for Miss Lillie. She won the voting section of the contest on textnovel and was named a semi-finalist. Her story is with the publishers now so we just have to wait and see if she makes it to the finalist round. Thanks everyone!_

_Speaking of Miss Lillie... Lady, I love you more than... well... just about anything. Not only are you the best beta in the whole wide world, you listen to all of my whining, you're there for me when I need you, you keep me sane. Thank you for being you!_

_Mad props as well to Amy and Tami for pre-reading this for me. You ladies rock! _

_Chocolate Covered Cullens go out to all of my fantastic readers who hang in there with me even though I am utter FAIL at responding to reviews. _

_Don't forget to follow me on Twitter ~ JuJuRN40. Also, I'm setting up a blog site, so next chapter I will have details on that for you. _

_I think I've listed all the upcoming tour dates in the chapter. Yes, ladies, we're headed to Florida soon. I know several of you have been waiting patiently for that! We still have room on the Tour Bus for all you Vixens that are traveling with us on the road. It gets pretty wild in here sometimes!_

_Oh, and if anyone is looking for any last minute gift ideas for me for Christmas... I'd like RPatzz and his fingers... here... in my living room... with a big red bow on his head... and I'm gonna look him straight in the eye and tell him what a hot piece of ass he is! Hallelujah, holy shit, where's the Tylenol? (Extra Chocolate Covered Cullens if you can tell me what movie that's from!)_

_See the review button? CLICK IT! I may not respond.. but I read and cherish every single one!_


	26. Proposition

**_A/N:_** _OK, here I am, back with the next installment of ECV. It took a while, but honestly, this chapter had to be perfect._

_Thank you Lillie... You know why. Many thanks as well to my girls Lillie, Lea, Tami, Amy, Militza, and Tammy for hanging in there with me through some tough times the last few weeks. I sure hope most of that is behind me for a while. Love you all H&R._

_**Disclaimer: **Don't own any of the characters from Twilight. This story and all characterizations within it that are NOT Twi-verse related are mine and only mine. Please do me the honor of asking me before you copy this work or use any of my characters. Thanks._

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_**Edward**_

I don't think my fucking nerves could have been any more shot than they were that Saturday night in Chicago waiting to go on stage. Thank God Alice and Rose were there to placate Bella so she didn't notice how fucking on edge I was, because had she noticed, she would have thought something was wrong with me. It was really fucking hard for me to not just break down and tell her everything. I wanted to, but I just couldn't.

On Friday, I had several phone calls from Demetri, which I tried to take in private. The custody hearing was coming up on Tuesday and I knew that he and I needed to talk about it. I had pretty well ignored him, expecting him to be a miracle worker while we were traveling and Bella was sick, but I couldn't ignore him any longer. He needed my help. It was looking like court was going to be pretty bad, and to top it all off, Tanya was scheduled for release from jail on Monday and she wanted to see Abby. Fortunately, after the last fucking fiasco with her family and Bella there, the judge had denied her access to Abby until the custody hearing had taken place, but I knew that wouldn't stop the stupid bitch from trying. I had yet to share with Bella that Tanya was getting out of jail. She was stressed out enough as it was.

Saturday morning, I was pleased that Bella agreed to go shopping with Rose and Alice. I didn't want her to insist on coming to the meeting I had scheduled with Demetri. As it turned out, I probably should have had her there, but all in all, we wouldn't have done anything differently than we did anyway.

Tanya's lawyer was a scum-sucking pig who had managed to fabricate all sorts of lies about Bella. He had dug up some dickhead from her past that had apparently tried to date-rape her when they were in high school to testify that she was a "party girl." In addition, they were calling Newton to testify. Newton, however, was trying like hell to get out of it. He had recently been in the hospital for a particularly bad assault, which he said was a mugging, but every time I looked at Jasper, I knew it wasn't a mugging. That shit was on purpose and Newton was shitting his pants thinking he was going to be called in to testify against me because of Bella. He figured his scrawny ass was going to end up at the bottom of Lake Michigan, which might not have been too far from the truth.

Tanya, her family, and her lawyers might have been scraping the bottom of the barrel to find evidence against Bella, but I really wasn't interested in putting Bella through all that. There were really only two ways out of it and neither one of them sounded too appealing when it came to telling Bella about them, but I had decided what I was going to do. I just had to be able to make it through without totally losing my shit.

Bella's dad arrived that afternoon, as planned, and he was just a fucking ray of sunshine. He was really pissed off at me for what I was, who I was, and what he perceived that his daughter was going through because of me. The pissed off part of me wanted to lash out at him for what he had done to Bella when she was younger, but I didn't. I kept that shit in check because Bella didn't even know that I knew about it. She had told me bits and pieces, but that morning at Demetri's office, I had gotten the whole story, and it wasn't pretty. I could never imagine not believing Abby if she came to me and told me that she had been sexually assaulted, moreover, the dude wouldn't have lived to do it to another girl. That fucking Jacob dude was going to take the stand and say that he and Bella had consensual sex. As far as I knew, Bella hadn't had sex with him at all.

All of these thoughts were at war in my mind when we climbed into the limo that night and headed to the show. Rhianne kept looking at me and giving me "the look," which was supposed to make me calm down, but it wasn't fucking working. I was strung tight, like _really_ tight, so tight I was like a piano string that had one too many turns on the tuning pin and was about to break. Bella kept squeezing my hand and every time she did, I looked down at our hands entwined together on my lap. Her wrist was adorned with the bracelet I had given her. Her hand was so tiny in comparison to mine. I had always been told that I had pianist's fingers because they were so long. Just because I played didn't mean that I agreed, but looking at Bella's hand in mine, it was painfully obvious just how long my fingers were. As I sat there fixated on our hands, I heard Rhianne clearing her throat loudly. I looked up and Charlie was staring at me, along with the rest of the gang.

"What? Did I do something?" I looked over at Bella in confusion, who had blanched. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Um, you probably need to pay attention to what you're saying when you're daydreaming, Edward. Especially when we have guests in the car." She glanced at her dad and blanched again. "Sorry, Dad. He's a little pre-occupied before a show."

Charlie raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at me. "Edward, I'd really prefer if you kept that kind of stuff to yourself. I, uh, really don't want to hear that."

_What the fuck did I say?_ I had no idea what I might have said. Emmett was laughing his ass off and Rose hit him no less than three times and told him to shut the fuck up. Jasper even had a look of amusement on his face and Alice was patting Bella on the shoulder and glaring at me. Fortunately, we arrived at the venue and everyone started out of the car. Emmett got out and stood with the other bodyguards, giving Rose a kiss on the cheek and apologizing to her before she moved to the side to allow the rest of us to get out of the car. There were hoards of screaming fans and photographers there, which I expected at a home show. It was no different than the night before, but it _was_ different. There was an electricity in the air that no one could put their finger on, except me. I knew what was different.

As we made our way inside, I caught up to Emmett and asked what I had said. "Dude, you don't need to be talking about what you'd like to do with your fingers and Bella with her dad sitting there. I'm surprised he didn't kill you."

_Fuck. Note to self: Don't think about where you'd like to put your fingers while your girlfriend's father is sitting across from you and you're pre-occupied anyway. Fuck._

The show went down without a hitch. When the time came for the encore, I rushed off stage to go change and hauled Bella with me to the dressing room. I kept kissing her and almost forgot that I had a mission to accomplish. When it came time to go back on stage, I went a different direction than I usually did and took Bella with me. We were standing in the back, center stage, and Bella kissed me on the cheek and said she needed to get back to her dad.

"No, Bella. I want you to stay here. There's something I want to do."

"What, Edward?"

The music started playing and the lights were coming up and it was time for me to go out, so I tightened my grip on her hand and pulled her with me. She immediately started to protest.

"No… Edward, what are you doing? I'm not going out there!" The spotlight hit us and she immediately had the deer in the headlights look. She stared at me with those big doe eyes of hers and flushed. I smiled and pulled her out onto the stage.

"Come on, Bella. You won't regret this, I promise."

"I'm sure you've all seen pictures of this lovely lady right here next to me?" I shouted. The crowd roared. "Well, this is Bella, and this is my official introduction." I handed Bella a microphone and whispered, "Say hi to the crowd, Bella."

Bella held the microphone awkwardly and said, "Hello." The crowd roared again. She smiled a beautiful, yet nervous, smile and waved timidly.

I turned towards her and said into my headset, "I've got something I need to discuss with Bella and I wanted my fans here tonight to be a witness to what I've got to say," and with that, I got down on one knee. The crowd went crazy and I nodded to the side of the stage where Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Charlie were waiting. They all walked out and stood behind Bella. Bella was looking around wildly and her dad walked forward, took her hand and kissed it, winking at her. Charlie put her hand in mine and stepped aside as I took a deep breath.

"Bella, you are, without a doubt, the love of my life. Fate obviously brought us together and even in the short time I've known you, I've found that I could never imagine my life without you. You've shown me love that I never knew was possible for me. I love you more than I ever dreamed I could love another human being besides my daughter. You've healed my heart and made me whole again. You've made me a better man in many ways and you've shown me that I do deserve to be loved for who I am. It is my wish, my desire, that we spend the rest of our lives together, and my greatest wish is that we do so as husband and wife. Isabella Swan, will you marry me?" I opened the ring box and held it out to her. I had never been so nervous in my entire life. The crowd was going crazy. Alice and Rosalie both had tears streaming down their face, and as I watched Bella, a single tear rolled down her cheek, but her smile was unmistakable.

The crowd hushed to the point where you could've heard a pin drop. Bella stood there, staring at me, her face overcome with emotion. I wasn't sure how to read it. Suddenly, I was terrified that she would think it was too soon and say no. I started to shake and my insides felt like I might just turn inside out right there on the stage. It wasn't more than a moment, a flash, a blur in time, but it felt like an eternity until Bella's head nodded minutely and she whispered, "Yes, Edward… Yes."

I let out a breath that I didn't realize I'd been holding. I stood, took the ring out of the box, and slid it onto her delicate hand. It was a beautiful compliment to the bracelet. Of course, I had them commissioned at the same time, but didn't realize I would be giving them both to her so close together. The crowd began to make noise, a low buzz at first, until I took her in my arms and kissed her tenderly. That was when they went completely crazy.

"You've just made me the happiest man on earth, Bella. In case you all didn't hear it, she said yes," I said, to placate the crowd. Music started and I said, "Gotta go back to work, babe," before kissing her one more time and releasing her. I turned to the audience and started belting out my latest hit. Rhianne helped to usher Bella and the group off the stage, where Bella stood staring down at her left hand. Each time I looked over at her, she was either smiling back at me, or staring at the ring. It pleased me that I had made the right choice, or at least I hoped I had. We had a lot of talking to do when the show was over, but I couldn't let myself get distracted by that. I was putting on the best show I ever had at the time, and I needed to concentrate, so I did.

Afterwards, I ran off stage and grabbed Bella, swinging her around. She giggled and punched me on the shoulder so I put her down and we all headed down to the dressing room together. All the guys gathered 'round and congratulated the both of us and when the Vixens arrived; they all congratulated us as well. They all surrounded Bella and swooned over her ring and there was a lot of excited talking about wedding plans and such, to which Alice replied that _she_ would be planning the wedding. I wondered how she would feel about having little more than 48 hours to plan it and it would be in a judge's chambers. I pushed that aside for the time being. It was time to celebrate with my fiancé.

Charlie relaxed and seemed to have a great time that night. He drank several beers and was really loosening up around me. He and I talked quite a bit. He was very complimentary of me and of the show, which really surprised me. Of course, he had known what he was invited to Chicago for, else he wouldn't have come. He did a complete 180 with me from the afternoon and even told me that he would be proud to have me as his son-in-law. I hoped it wasn't just the beer talking.

When all was said and done, we left the venue and headed for our separate quarters. I sent Charlie and the rest of the group to my house, while Bella and I went to the apartment. When we arrived there, after a quiet ride in the back of the limo, I opened the door and let Bella walk in first. As soon as we were both inside and I had closed the door, she attacked me, kissing my face and neck and proclaiming her love for me. I held her and kissed her back, finally carrying her to the bedroom, opening the curtains, placing her on the bed, and slowly undressing her. When I had her down to just her bracelet and ring, I kissed her belly button and lay my head on her tummy. She ran her fingers through my hair and looked down at me with love in her eyes.

"Are you going to tell me why the rush?" she asked finally. I had known it was coming, but I was basking in the thought that in a couple of days, Bella would be my wife. Mine. Forever.

"I want to protect you. I can't let them hurt you in court, Bella. I just can't."

She sat up, realization dawning on her. "What do you mean?"

"Baby, I know this doesn't sound very romantic, but I would really like it if we could get married in the judge's chambers before the hearing on Tuesday. It would… well, it would make things easier for you in court."

"What? Tuesday? What?" I could see the confusion spreading across her face and then she smiled. "Alice is gonna be _so fucking pissed!_" Her laughter permeated the entire room and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"I'm sorry. If you want a big white wedding, we can do that later."

"Hell no! I would love nothing more than to marry you in the judge's chambers, but I'm worried that you're just doing this to keep me from having to defend myself in court. I really don't know what the hell it could be that I would have to defend myself from, Edward."

"Oh, Bella, you have no idea," I sighed. I didn't want to go into it with her.

"Well, Edward… I just want to know one thing. That's not the only reason you did this, is it?"

I sat up and gathered her into my arms, fearing that was what she would think. "No. It's not. I had the ring commissioned at the same time I had the bracelet commissioned. I just didn't know at the time that I'd be giving them both to you on the same weekend. It's been my plan to marry you and make you mine since… well, since I met you. I just wanted you to be ready for that kind of relationship with me. If you're not, I understand. Being with me is a huge commitment. It's not just me. It's me, it's Abby, it's my parents, my ex-wife, the band, Rhianne, the lifestyle…" Bella put her finger over my lips to hush me up.

"I want it, Edward. I want it all. If it's a part of you, I want it. My life never made any sense to me before you, but now it all makes sense. I love you. I can't live without you."

I covered her lips with mine and the love we made that night was the best ever. Something between us was different. We weren't two lust-starved people looking for affection. We were two people in love who had just committed to stay together forever. It was beautiful. I nearly got emo about it, but instead I just held her and rocked her against me, feeling what her body had to give me over and over again. It wasn't just her body. It was her soul. When our climaxes finally took us, all I could say to her was, "Mine… all mine."

The next morning we went to the house to have breakfast with everyone and there was a flurry of activity. Alice was already in full wedding planner mode and Bella finally had to stop her.

"Alice! Honestly! Are you even going to ask me what I want? Or when this is happening even?"

"Sorry, Bella," Alice sang, flitting around the kitchen. I knew exactly what Bella meant when she called her a pixie on speed. The girl had more damn energy than a lab going after a treat. "I just want to make sure everything is perfect! This is going to be a high profile wedding, you know!"

"No, Alice, it's not. It's going to take place in a judge's chambers at the court house at nine o'clock Tuesday morning. Nobody knows that but the people in this room and nobody is going to know that but the people in this room, and Edward's parents and daughter, of course."

"And Rhianne," I chimed in.

Alice's face fell. She stood there staring at us, looking from one to the other. "You're shitting me, right?"

We both shook our heads. Alice sat down on a barstool in the kitchen, defeated. "Can I at least get you a dress and some flowers?"

Bella laughed. "Of course you can, Alice. I won't deny you that."

Alice seemed slightly less irritated with us.

I had an appearance that afternoon and after that, the whole lot of us went to Carlisle and Esme's for dinner. It was, after all, Sunday.

When we arrived, Esme threw the front door open and stalked off to the kitchen without a word. I realized then that I probably should have called them before the show the previous night. She would have read the story in the paper that morning that I proposed to Bella on stage. Abby came running right past me and jumped into Bella's waiting arms.

"I missed youuuuuuu!" she squealed.

"Hey, rugrat! What about me?" I asked, tousling her hair. She practically jumped out of Bella's arms and into mine.

"You, too, Daddy!" She kissed me and squeezed my neck tight in her little arms. We all trouped into the house and I motioned to Bella to follow me. We went to Abby's bedroom and sat her down on the bed between us.

"We have something to talk to you about, Abby."

"You're not leaving me here again!" she pouted, crossing her arms.

"No, baby, you're coming home with us tonight. It's something else."

"Okay!" She bounced up and down on the bed and played with the hem of her dress.

"Remember when you asked if Bella could be your mommy?" I asked her, hoping she would remember the conversation.

"Yes," she replied, happily.

"Well, she _is_ going to be your new mommy, soon. Is that okay?"

Abby sat still for a minute and turned her head to the side, studying my face. "I won't have the old one anymore?"

I laughed. "Yes, you'll still have the old one, Abby, but Bella and Daddy are getting married, so Bella will be your mommy, too."

She pondered this for a moment and Bella and I exchanged glances. Finally, she jumped up and hugged first me, and then Bella. "Okay! Love youuuuuu!" she yelled, and then she ran out of the room screaming, "Grandma, Grandma, guess what? Bella's going to be my mommy!"

Bella laughed and stood up. "That went well," she said as I took her hand and we went to seek out Esme. She was in the kitchen finishing dinner when we arrived. She didn't even turn around.

"When were you going to tell us, Edward?"

"Mom, I'm sorry, I was going to tell you at dinner tonight. I honestly didn't even think about the newspaper."

"Or the television, apparently."

"Or the television. I'm truly sorry. It wasn't as though I had planned it for weeks and didn't tell you. It was a spur of the moment thing. Can't you just be happy for us?"

Esme rounded on me and paused only a second when she saw Bella standing there. "Have you even thought this out? Either of you? Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into, Bella? Do you _know_ what being married to Edward is going to mean?"

"With all due respect, Esme, I believe I do know what it's going to mean. I've been traveling with him for a month. I've gotten a good taste. I'm sure there will be more, but I'm ready for it. If it means that I get to be with Edward, then I can handle it, whatever it is."

Esme glared at her, trying to think of a response as Carlisle walked in the other door from the dining room and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Congratulations, Edward and Bella. Although your mother seems to be upset that she didn't know in advance, she's happy for you nonetheless. When is the happy event going to take place or have you even had time to think about it yet?"

I watched Esme visibly relax with my father's arms around her. I was thankful for his timely intervention. He always had great timing.

"Actually, we're getting married Tuesday morning in the judge's chambers before the hearing. I, well, _we_ were hoping you would both join us."

Carlisle kissed Esme on the cheek and said, "You know we'll be there, son. It'll be our honor."

Esme tried to smile and went back to finishing dinner quietly. I sent Bella into the living room with the rest of the gang and walked over to Esme. "Mom, I really am sorry. It just worked out that this was the best time. You wouldn't believe what they were going to do to her in court and I couldn't just sit still and let them do that. The only way around it was to either break up, which wasn't even a remote possibility, or get married so that she couldn't be forced to testify against me, or me against her. It was the only way, Mom. I love her. I can't even see my life without her anymore. She's what completes me and keeps me sane in this sea of insanity that I live in. Surely you can understand that."

"My feelings are just hurt that I didn't know. I'll get over it. I understand, Edward. I do. I'm happy for you. Now go help your father set the table. It's time to eat."

The rest of the dinner was uneventful and afterwards, we all went back to the house. After drinks and visiting, we all went to bed. Bella and I opted to stay at the house since Abby was already fast asleep.

Monday was a whirlwind of a day. I had more meetings with Demetri while Bella had a power-shopping trip with Alice, Esme, and Rosalie. Charlie hung back at the house with Abby and Mary to get to know Abby better. It was obvious that she was already the apple of his eye and I was happy that he seemed to be really enjoying her. She was quite comfortable calling him grandpa and they were fast friends.

Late afternoon on Monday, it happened, just as I knew it would. I got the phone call from Tanya. She was at her house.

"I want to see my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Tanya. That's just not possible until after court tomorrow." Bella eyed me as I walked out the back door of the house onto the patio to talk to Tanya. I shut the French doors and paced back and forth on the patio.

"You could do it if you wanted to be a decent human being, you asshole. I could make life a lot easier for your _fiancé _in court tomorrow," she sneered.

"You trying to bribe me? It's not going to work. All you have is a bunch of trumped up shit on Bella anyway. She's none of your fucking business."

"If she's with my daughter, she's my fucking business. I'm coming over to get her." I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose, unaware that Bella had just joined me on the patio. I felt her arms snake around my waist and I turned to put my arm around her and squeezed her shoulders.

"Tanya, it would be prudent for you to just stay home and wait to see what happens tomorrow. If you come over here, I'll be forced to call the police. You know there's a restraining order against you." Again, having to remain calm with this bitch on the phone was taxing to me. I just kept breathing, and holding onto Bella.

"Why do you always have to be so goddamned difficult, Cullen? You're always such an asshole. She's my daughter. I miss her."

"I'm really sorry that you miss her, but as I recall, that's your own fault." I waited for the explosion I expected on the other end of the phone.

"Always quick to blame me for your own inadequacies, aren't you, Edward? Does your new girlfriend know about your anger problem?"

_Fucking bitch._

"Actually, I think my anger problems pretty much stemmed from my wife cheating on me and being on drugs all the time. I'm good now. We all have our moments, don't we, Tanya?" Bitch hung up on me. Good fucking riddance.

I turned to Bella and she hugged me. "Why didn't you tell me she was getting out, Edward?"

"I was afraid you were already stressed enough. I intended to, it's just, with everything else, it slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

"Edward… I'm not your enemy, I'm your partner. You have to be able to lean on me. Please?"

"I know," I whispered softly into her hair.

By the time evening rolled around, I was exhausted, nervous, and hoping that everything worked out as we had planned it. We all fell into bed quite early, knowing that Tuesday was going to be an early morning and busy day. There were no further interruptions from Tanya, for which I was grateful.

Alice tried to pull the 'Bella can't sleep with you tonight because you can't be seeing her in the morning' bullshit on me, but I trumped her by telling her we were all riding to the courthouse together in the same limo so it didn't matter.

"And besides, it's my house," I smirked as I led Bella into our bedroom.

"_Our_ house," Bella said quietly as the bedroom door closed.

* * *

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	27. Sanctuary

_**A/N: **RL sucks. Lillie, I love you. All the Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The rest of this shiz is mine. So there._

* * *

_**Bella**_

"Alice! Damn it! I can't get this right! Get in here and help me!" was the first thing out of my mouth on Tuesday morning when I was trying like hell to get dressed on my own.

"Bella, calm down for Christ's sake!" Alice chirped at me while she took over buttoning the buttons on my white blouse.

We had decided to remain conservative for the small wedding, considering we had Edward's court hearing to attend shortly afterwards. I was wearing a dark blue suit with a white silk blouse and dark blue shoes that matched. It was a beautiful suit and my bracelet and ring looked stunning with it. Rosalie helped with my hair and had it falling in loose curls over my shoulders. Alice had helped with hair and makeup, as well. Stupidly, I had thought I could actually get dressed by myself, but my hands were shaking so badly that I couldn't even button the crystal buttons on my blouse.

When I was finally dressed and Alice gave me her blessing, we all went downstairs to join everyone else in anticipation of leaving shortly. I walked into the living room and Edward was by my side immediately.

"You look absolutely gorgeous," he whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.

"Hey! Don't mess up her makeup!" Alice growled at him. He smirked at her before kissing my other cheek and then softly kissing my lips, making my knees feel like buckling.

Charlie hugged me and told me he thought I looked beautiful as well, which made be blush. Charlie never really said things like that, so I didn't know how to take them when he did.

Edward's parents arrived shortly and Esme seemed to be in a much better mood than she had been Sunday. She was gushing about how nice Edward and I looked and I beamed as I ran my eyes over Edward. He was wearing a black suit and tie with a crisply pressed white shirt. I was so used to seeing him in his jeans and t-shirt, that I was mesmerized by just how sharp he looked all dressed up. His bronze hair was, as usual, unruly. How he always managed to have sex hair and not look like he just got out of bed was beyond me. All I cared about was that he was all mine and I was so happy.

Abby was dancing around, running from person to person, in a pretty, frilly, lacy, flouncy, white dress that Alice had picked out for her to wear. She was coming with us for the wedding, but then Mary would be bringing her back home for the hearing. Tanya's lawyers had, at one point, tried to make Edward bring her to the hearing or have her be interviewed by the judge in his chambers. Edward had roared at Demetri on the phone that she was only four and Demetri had agreed and squashed the whole thing. Those fucking people were relentless.

Two limos pulled up in the drive in front of the house and Rhianne announced that it was time for us all to go. That woman was everywhere all the time and I had never met anyone as organized as she was. I couldn't figure out how she did it.

Edward and I sat together in the back of the limo, holding hands and chatting on the way to the courthouse. A different judge was going to marry us because it would be a conflict for the judge overseeing the custody case to do it. Edward had spent hours the night before telling me what I could expect in court and detailing all of the things I might hear. We hardly slept that night because we were up talking so late. Everyone around us was buzzing with excitement and I was extremely nervous.

It took some time for us to get through security when we arrived, since there were so many of us. I cracked up looking at our 'small' wedding party. Charlie, Carlisle, Esme, Abby, Mary, Rhianne, Jasper, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, Curtis, Jon, Brad, Ray, Chris, Demetri, and Sam were all with us, along with four bodyguards. It was really pretty humorous.

Once inside the judge's chambers, he asked for the marriage license, which Edward pulled out of his inside pocket and handed to him. We had gone to the Cook County Clerk's office the day before and obtained it after Demetri had reminded us that we had to have one. Thank God we only had to wait until the next day and not three days or a month or something.

Everyone stilled and stood all around us while the judge gave a little speech about how much he enjoyed performing weddings. It was the best part of his job, he said, because most other parts of his job were sad and tragic, but performing a marriage was a joyous time for him. He kept it short, but talked to us a bit about the commitment that a marriage was going to be. Edward held my hand and smiled at me the whole time.

It finally came time for the vows and we turned to each other, joined hands, and repeated the vows to each other while staring into each other's eyes. I couldn't help the two renegade teardrops that spilled out of my eyes when Edward said his vows to me. I also couldn't help the three or four more tears of happiness that came when I repeated my vows to Edward.

When it came time for the rings, Edward's eyes widened when I turned to Alice and plucked the platinum ring out of her tiny hand. We had some help from Rhianne when it came to sizing Edward's ring. She gave us the name of Edward's jeweler. It fit perfectly. Edward slipped a beautiful platinum and diamond band on my finger that was made to fit around my engagement ring. It was beautiful and I stared at it briefly, before turning my eyes back to Edward's and basking in the love I found there.

When the judge finally pronounced us husband and wife, I was overcome with a feeling of pure joy that Edward and I belonged to each other forever.

Everyone had a big hug fest when it was all over and we all walked out of the judge's chambers smiling and laughing. Abby kissed me goodbye before she left with Mary and said, "Bye, Mommy, see youuuu!" I had to glance around quickly to make sure Tanya hadn't been around to hear. I was a tiny bit paranoid about Abby calling me that in front of Tanya as mentally unstable as she was.

Everyone that was staying was ushered into a room by Demetri. It was a fairly large room with a big, oval-shaped, solid wood conference table in the center and leather chairs all around. The walls were lined with bookshelves that were full of law books and procedure books. The musty smell of the books permeated the air, only to be overshadowed by the scent of leather. The room was stuffy and didn't feel friendly at all. Demetri had us all sit down so he could brief us about what to expect.

"Edward, you and Bella will sit up at the front table with me. Tanya will be on the other side with her attorneys. Bella, don't make eye contact with her if you can help it. Remain confident and show that you and Edward present a united front. When she's on the stand, she'll probably stare at you and make a lot of accusations about you. Don't respond. Don't show a reaction on your face, in your body language, and don't say anything. Just let her make an ass of herself. She'll bury herself if we just let her. This isn't going to be a problem."

I had to admit, Demetri was good. He told everyone what they needed to do, where they needed to be, what they needed to respond to, what they didn't need to respond to… It felt as though no stone had been unturned. I knew that Jacob had been brought in for the hearing, but he wouldn't be in the courtroom unless they called him to testify and Demetri said that the likelihood of them doing so was slim to none.

Eleven o'clock was about to roll around, which meant it was time for us to go into the courtroom. I was nervous as hell, but Edward just took my hand and smiled at me, that beautiful crooked smile of his. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair and kiss him forever.

"It's gonna be fine, Bella. Don't worry, okay? I know you're nervous, but there's no need."

I nodded slightly and took a deep breath as we walked through the big double wooden doors that led into the devastatingly intimidating courtroom. The bench looked enormous to me as we walked up the center aisle behind Demetri who opened the gate in the bar and motioned for us to step through. Charlie and the gang, including Edward's parents and Rhianne, sat directly behind us in the gallery. I glanced around and was relieved that at least the jury box would be empty. Edward and I sat down at the table side by side and Edward's hand never released mine.

Demetri was busy spreading out paperwork, files, legal pads, and other paraphernalia in front of him on the table when the courtroom door opened and I heard Tanya's irritating voice say, "What the fuck is _she_ doing up there?"

I didn't turn to look, but Edward did. When he turned back and squeezed my hand, he was smirking. He leaned over and whispered, "Her lawyer just told her to shut up." I stifled a giggle.

They came through the gate noisily and I could hear Tanya huffing. I did as Demetri had told me to, I didn't make eye contact with her, but I could see her out of my peripheral vision while I talked to Edward. She looked like the skanky hoe she is. I smiled inwardly. Couldn't she have even dressed decently for court? Honestly. I was sure her too-short skirt and miniscule cleavage hanging out of her blouse wouldn't impress the judge.

"What did you ever see in her?" I whispered to Edward with a smile.

He grinned and shrugged. "No idea, baby."

I leaned over and whispered as softly as I could, "I won't tell anyone if you admit that she was just a piece of ass and you got stuck with her for a while." I smirked at him and felt the flash of mischievousness go across my face. Edward almost lost it and busted out into laughter. He shook his head at me, but couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"I love you," he mouthed.

One of Tanya's three lawyers approached Demetri and was whispering to him. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that it had something to do with me because I saw Demetri look my direction and gesture towards me. Perhaps they were finding out why I was sitting at the table with Edward rather than in the gallery behind him. Edward squeezed my hand again, running the pad of his thumb back and forth over my skin.

Demetri sat down, leaned over to us, and whispered, "Let the games begin," with a smile. "They just asked that you be removed from sitting next to Edward and I informed them that you had every right to sit there as his wife. They, uh, didn't like that too much." The three of us shared a private moment of joy before the bailiff announced the judge's entrance. I stood proudly next to Edward and waited for the gavel to fall so that we could sit down.

"Cullen vs. Cullen, custody hearing for the minor child Abigail Elizabeth Cullen, case number 07D-001685, now in session."

Just hearing those words was intimidating. Fortunately for us, Edward had brought the suit against Tanya, so our side was allowed to testify first. Demetri called Edward to the stand and he kissed the top of my head before making his way up to the witness box. I grabbed one of the legal pads lying on the table so I could make notes during Edward's testimony to keep my hands and eyes busy.

"State your full name," the bailiff monotoned.

"Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

After he was sworn in, Edward sat down and adjusted the microphone in front of him. He didn't look at all nervous, but he was used to being in front of people. I wondered how much of a fucking idiot I was going to look like when my time came. I smiled back at him when he made eye contact with me and grinned.

"Edward, can you please describe, for the court, the specific events that led you to file this suit?" Demetri started.

Edward began by discussing certain things that had occurred during his marriage to Tanya, their subsequent divorce, the issues he had with Abby living with her, the drug addiction, the jail time, and her behavior in general. I made a few notes, but nothing came up that I hadn't already heard about from Edward. He had made certain that everything that would be said by him, I would already know about.

"And would you please tell the court how you have managed to be on tour and take care of Abigail the past several weeks?"

Edward described, in detail, exactly how Abby had been cared for. He talked about Mary and the fact that Mary and Abby had their own personal tour bus for the times that we needed to travel by ground. He described the way Mary kept Abby on a very strict schedule. He told about how Abby was kept away from the reporters as much as possible and away from the crowds. He talked about the time that was always set aside for Edward and me to be with Abby and special activities that we did with her. He told them everything there was to tell, including her special trip back to Chicago to visit with her mother's family that ended in disaster.

"Has caring for your daughter while on tour been difficult for you, Edward?"

"No more difficult than caring for a four year old child ever is. There are always trying times, but I have more help than most parents. I have Bella and Mary, who both help with Abby enormously, and my parents help out as well. Abby has well rounded relationships with all of the folks involved in her care."

I watched Edward as Demetri questioned him further as to why he had asked for sole custody of Abby. Edward was uncomfortable, but I could see him visibly relax when he looked over at me and I nodded my head to him. It was all the encouragement he needed to go forth.

"Bella and I were married earlier this morning."

Tanya gasped. I smiled inwardly. Tanya's lawyers started shuffling through paperwork that was spread out before them on the table.

Edward continued, "I believe that she and I can provide a more stable environment in which to raise Abigail than Tanya can provide with her drug addiction problem. Tanya repeatedly put Abby's life and well-being in danger while she had residential custody of her, and I don't believe her to be a suitable mother. In light of that situation, I decided to ask for sole custody of my daughter rather than joint custody. If, at some point in the future, Tanya were to prove herself to the court to be worthy of coming back into Abigail's life, I would consider joint custody at that time, but I don't believe that time is now."

Demetri finished his line of questioning and sat down. He gave me a reassuring look as one of Tanya's lawyers got up and started pacing the courtroom before stopping in front of Edward to ask him questions. He started off with a benign enough line of questioning, but it wasn't long before he got down to the real nitty-gritty. He asked Edward questions about being on tour and how much he drank and how much he did drugs. Edward was very honest about all of his answers stating that he usually drank a little bit after a show, but that Abby was not around for that. He told the court that he had not done any drugs whatsoever during this tour and that he didn't intend to.

When Edward said, "on this tour," I sat up in my chair. I could see the lawyer honing in on that one little statement. I knew that Edward had done some drugs in his past. Nothing serious and he never had a problem with them, per se, but he _had_ done some.

"Mr. Cullen, you stated that you have not done any drugs on _this_ tour, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"So, you're saying that you _have_ done drugs in the past?"

"Minimally, yes."

"What if you have a moment of weakness and go back to them?"

"I won't."

"How do you know?"

"I just know. I have no desire for any illegal substances. I don't have an addiction to any illegal substances. It won't happen."

I could see that Edward was getting frustrated, but he kept his composure and continued to answer the questions. The lawyer finally ran out of things to ask and sat down. Edward came back to sit next to me and he was visibly shaken. He grasped my hand and he was trembling. I felt so terrible for him. I clasped his hand between both of mine and held it tightly. It had to have been awful answering questions about his personal life like that. They had asked about me and wanted intimate details about our relationship, which Edward had denied them. The judge agreed that some of the things they asked were, frankly, no one's business.

Demetri then called Tanya to the stand. I took a deep breath and squeezed Edward's hand. This was going to be difficult for both of us, I feared.

"State your full name for the record."

"Tanya Lynn Denali Cullen."

"Ms. Cullen, you were recently released from jail, is that correct?"

Demetri was going for the throat. Edward held tight to my hand and we waited for the fallout.

My stress level was running high and I was glad that I had taken one of the anti-anxiety pills the doctor in Columbus had given me before we walked into court. I couldn't imagine how stressed I would have been without it. I was concerned that they were almost gone, as were the sleeping pills, and I made a mental note to ask Carlisle about refilling them before we left on tour again. I needed to remain strong for Edward.

I listened to Tanya make excuses about how she had been in jail unfairly and how everything was Edward's fault. My nervousness quickly dissipated into anger. I could tell by the tension in Edward's grip on my hand that he was becoming angry as well. Fortunately, the judge finally decided it was time for a recess for lunch and we didn't have to listen to her for a while.

Rhianne had taken care of having lunch brought in for all of us and I was grateful that she was there to take care of such things. We ate quietly and finally Edward asked Demetri if there was a place where we could talk to him privately. Demetri nodded and took us to another room.

Edward was mostly concerned about the things he had been asked to discuss while on the stand. Demetri reassured him that everything was fine and going according to plan. Edward apologized to me and I just couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Edward, you don't have to apologize. You didn't say anything that you hadn't already told me!"

"I hated you hearing it… in there," he said quietly, his eyes on the floor.

I stepped over to him and put my arms around him. "I love you, Edward. We've all done things we wish we wouldn't have. That's life."

It was time to go back into the courtroom and I was wishing like hell that Edward and I were anywhere but there. What a fucking nightmare.

Tanya got back on the stand and she nearly made me sick with her ass shaking all over the damn place. I tried as hard as I could not to look at her, but she was making such a fucking spectacle of herself- who could keep _from_ looking at her?

Once everyone was in place, Tanya continued her assault on Edward's abilities as a husband, a human, a father, hell- she even tried to say that he was a shitty lover when they were married. I knew that most of the shit that she was saying was for my benefit, but I wished, on Edward's behalf, that she would just shut the fuck up. Demetri cut her off a few times, but for the most part, he just let her say whatever the fuck she wanted. Her attorney actually stood up and objected to her answers a time or two. I had to stifle my laughter at that.

When Demetri had finally gone through all of her jail time, her drug use, her leaving Abigail alone, her drug dealers visiting the house, and all the other shit she did, he stepped down and let her attorney have at her. Of course, he tried to make her look like she had been victimized in some way and that was the biggest load of shit I'd ever heard. I rolled my eyes more than a few times.

Once Tanya was off the damn stand, we were able to move on, so Demetri called Seth to the stand. Seth and Brady both testified to what they had seen while they had been watching Tanya for Edward. Seth told about the night that Tanya left and he went in to get Abby and took her to Edward and how upset Edward had been. I could see that it was killing Edward to have to rehash all that shit, but I tried to reassure him the best I could while sitting in a courtroom with a hundred onlookers.

Oh yeah, the fucking press was there, of course. How could Edward ever have anything happen in his private life without the press being involved? I just shook my head at them. They were so stupid and nosy sometimes.

After Seth and Brady, Demetri called Carlisle to the stand. I kept waiting for him to call me, but so far he hadn't. I was getting really nervous about it and wished he would just hurry up and put me up there already.

Carlisle did a beautiful job of testifying on Edward's behalf. He told the court how proud he was of his son to be juggling his busy schedule and taking such good care of his daughter. He told about how Abby had spent the weekend with Esme and him and how well that had gone. He said that Abby seemed to be more well-adjusted after having been on the road with Edward for a month than she was before she left. Apparently, Abby had nightmares about her mother, which was something I didn't know. It broke my heart to think that bitch gave her four year old daughter nightmares. I had never wanted to kill anyone as much as I wanted to kill her.

After Tanya's attorney was done with Carlisle, Demetri looked over at me and nodded once. That was my sign. I was next. I almost threw up on the floor. Edward squeezed my hand and kissed my forehead just before I got up to take the stand.

I laid my trembling hand on the Bible and swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before stating my full name for the record.

"Isabella Marie Swan Cullen." I looked right at Edward when I said the last part. It was the first time I had said his name aloud attached to mine, and it felt so good. He was beaming at me.

Demetri stood before me and smiled. I was thankful that he was up first. I would have been a wreck if I had to face Tanya's dirtbag lawyer first.

"You prefer to be called 'Bella,' is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Bella. I've just got a few questions for you. Don't be nervous."

I smiled back at him and kept my eyes on him as he asked me the questions. He started with the easy ones… 'Where do you work? Where do you live? How did you and Edward meet? Tell me about how it is to have Abby on tour with you? Do you and Abby get along?' …and then moved on to the hard ones.

"Can you please tell the court about your relationship with Mike Newton, Bella?"

I took a deep breath. I had known this was coming, but I was damn glad that Demetri asked it first.

"I was living with Mike Newton for a few years while I lived in Seattle. We were to be married, but he was physically and emotionally abusive, so I broke off the relationship and moved in with my friend Alice several months before Edward and I met." Demetri had told me to stay short and to the point, not to offer too much information when I answered this particular line of questioning.

"Have you had contact with Mr. Newton recently, Bella?"

"He showed up in Columbus, Ohio when we were there, but I didn't actually talk to him myself. He seemed to be of the opinion that I was going to drop Edward and go back home with him. I'm not sure what his motivation was for being there, other than jealousy."

"Do you email, write, or call Mr. Newton?"

I looked at Demetri incredulously. What the hell was he thinking? There was no fucking way I was staying in touch with that mother-fucker. Then again, I had no idea what Tanya's attorneys had up their sleeves, so I just answered the fucking question.

"No, sir, I don't. I don't have any ongoing contact with Mr. Newton. In fact, I've had to change my phone number a couple of times in the past to keep him from trying to have contact with me."

"So, you don't want to have contact with him?"

"No!" I answered emphatically, trying to make sure everyone in the room understood that I didn't want, nor would I ever want, contact with Mike Newton.

"Alright, Bella. Now, can you please tell me a little bit about your previous relationship with Jacob Black?"

I did my best to keep from snorting. I glared at my dad who was looking at the floor. It was still a sore subject between us.

"I dated Jacob Black in high school. His father is friends with my father. They wanted us to date, so we did."

"Can you tell the court why that relationship ended?"

I nodded before taking a deep breath. "Jacob lived on the Quileute reservation outside of Forks at La Push, Washington. He and some of the other kids on the reservation used to like to have bonfire parties at First Beach. We were at one of these bonfire parties one night and Jacob had been drinking quite a bit. He tried to… forcefully… make me have sex with him. I fought him off and went home. I stopped seeing him after that." I glanced at my father several times while I told the story. It must have been the first time that he realized I hadn't been exaggerating when I got home that night, even though my blouse was torn. I really wanted to punch Charlie in the fucking face right at that moment.

"Were any charges brought against Mr. Black?"

"No."

"Isn't your father Forks' Chief of Police?"

"Yes." Charlie looked as though he wanted to crawl under the carpet. Good.

"Why weren't any charges brought? Weren't you hurt in the attack?"

"Mostly my pride was hurt, but my blouse was torn and I had a scratch on my chest, a hickey on my neck, and a fat lip. No charges were brought because… I don't know why. I guess my father didn't believe me, or didn't want to believe me? Jacob's father had been his friend for a very long time and I guess he didn't want to lose that friendship. I'm not really sure. I guess you'd have to ask my father why charges weren't brought." Charlie's shoulders were slumped down and he continued to stare at the floor.

"Did this attack cause you any emotional problems in your later relationships?"

"No."

Demetri asked a few more questions about Newton and Jacob, but mostly he went back to asking me about my relationship with Edward. I was thankful, because at least talking about Edward wasn't painful.

"Are you an alcoholic, Bella?"

"No. I rarely drink. A glass of wine or an occasional beer is all I ever drink."

"Do you partake of illegal substances?"

"No."

"Have you ever?"

"No."

I couldn't figure out where Demetri was going with this particular line of questioning, but just when I was about to start getting pissed off about it, he stopped and sat down. I was really glad that was over, but terrified when Tanya's lawyer stood and made his way over to me.

"Hello, Bella. I'd just like to ask a few questions as well, okay?"

"Mrs. Cullen, please, and that's fine." I wasn't sure if it was appropriate, but I decided that this particular scumbag wasn't going to be calling me Bella.

He looked irritated with me, but the judge didn't say anything, and Demetri nodded his head and smiled at me.

"Alright, _Mrs. Cullen._" Could he have _been_ any more sarcastic sounding? Seriously.

"You and Mr. Cullen were married this morning?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to tell us why the rush on getting married?"

"We're not going to be back in Chicago for a while and we had everyone here that we wanted at the wedding. We decided that now was best."

"So, it didn't have anything to do with this proceeding today?"

"No. Edward and I got married because we're in love, we wanted to be married, and Edward asked me."

"But you've only known each other for a few months. How do you know that getting married right now is the right thing to do?"

I stared at him. I wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"How does anyone know that getting married is the right thing to do? Right now, I can't imagine my life without Edward and he says the same about me. If that's not a good enough reason, I don't know what is."

Tanya's lawyer looked perplexed. Fear was rolling through me. I had no idea what he was up to, but I knew it couldn't be anything good. He walked over to his table and I took a few deep breaths, waiting for what was to come.

"Mrs. Cullen, are you aware that my client has made accusations of abuse towards Mr. Cullen? And are you also aware that women who have been in previously abusive relationships tend to gravitate towards other abusive relationships? Can you please tell me the extent of abuse that Mr. Cullen has subjected you to during your short romance?"

If I had awakened with my face stapled to the carpet, I wouldn't have been more surprised. Demetri stood up and immediately objected to the questions. The judge denied his objection and ordered me to answer. I looked at Edward and my fear calmed. His eyes were full of light and he was smiling at me. I knew that all I had to do was be honest, but I was so pissed off about the line of questioning to start with that I wasn't sure how to approach the answer.

"Edward has never been abusive towards me or anyone else that I've witnessed. I know that Tanya has made allegations of abuse towards Edward, and I can't speculate on that because I don't know. I wasn't there. As for women going to abusive relationships, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the woman sitting before you today wouldn't tolerate any abuse from any man ever again, and if any man attempted said abuse, he'd be out the door so fast it would make his head spin. Edward included. Edward has not, and does not, abuse me, any member of my family or his, or any member of his road crew, or anyone that works for him, to my knowledge." I crossed my arms and glared at the attorney, waiting for more.

"Does he spank Abigail?"

This guy had to have been on crack. I was sure that all of this came from Tanya. I loathed the bitch even more. Demetri stood and objected again, and was overruled, again. I sighed.

"No. I've never seen Edward spank Abigail, nor have I ever heard him threaten to spank her."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen. That will be all, for now."

The judge told me that I could step down and I was so relieved. I nearly tripped over my own feet getting back to the table to sit down next to Edward. I was shaking. I really hoped the day was almost over. To my utter glee, the judge announced that it was time to recess until the next day.

After a brief meeting with Demetri, in which he told me that I had done a wonderful job, we went down to get in the car and go home. It had been a long, exhausting day and I couldn't wait to be alone with Edward. He was my sanctuary, my peace in the midst of the chaos.

* * *

_**End Note: **No, we're not leaving to go back on tour yet. Soon. I promise. My readers are wonderful. Have I told you that lately? Because you are. Every single flippin' one of you is awesome and I love you all to death. I know I suck at answering reviews, so may I just say thank you to every single one of you who continue to review even though I don't answer. Honestly, the reviews are what keep me going some days. _

_So, I had laptop fail and had to get a new one. Thank GOD I didn't lose any of my writing or I would still be throwing a fit and everyone would have heard me screaming around the world by now. But, we're up and running on the new laptop and that's just awesomesauce. _

_I have some fucktastic friends in this fandom and have had the honor to chat with some fucktastic people on Twitter who happen to love my story, which makes it kind of a *squee* moment for me when I see the story being pimped out. Thanks so much you guys. It means more than you can know. If you haven't joined us on Twitter yet, please do so, and be sure to follow me. JuJuRN40. Although, right now I'm grounded from Twitter, self-imposed, because I have eight chapters in my inbox that need to be beta'd. Soon as they're done, I'll be back on Twitter. OK, so I'm gonna go Tweet that I updated... but then I'm gone for a few days. Speaking of me beta'ing, have you gone to my profile and checked out the authors I beta for? They've all got some awesome stories and I would love it if all of my readers would go and read theirs and review for them! They need some feedback too! Thanks!_

_Edward just popped his head in the living room and told me to tell everyone that Tanya is a skanky bitch and he's in the shower right now still trying to wash her off him after all this time. Isn't that sweet? Oooh, Edward's in my shower. Naked. And wet. I gotta go._

_Review! Remember, we need gas for the Velvet's Vixens tour bus and the only way to get gas for the tour bus is to get reviews! _


	28. Change

_**A/N: **Nobody reads anything up here anyway, so I'll see you all at the end. :)_

_**Disclaimer: **The standard "I don't own this shit" applies. Does anyone read these either? Seriously? OK... so I don't own the Twilight characters, but all the other shiz is mine. Don't be freaking copying it without my fucking permission. That is all._

* * *

_**Edward**_

It occurred to me as we made our way out of the courthouse that officially, Bella and I were supposed to be on our fucking honeymoon. There were reporters everywhere outside and the bodyguards had to make a path for us to walk to the car. It was like the parting of the Red Sea. They were shoving microphones in both of our faces and screaming questions at us as we passed. Bella looked utterly horrified, but to her credit, she put on a brave smile and kept her mouth shut, which was probably best. I grabbed her hand and pushed my way through the mob, only stating "no comment" once or twice.

Once we were safely ensconced in the limo, I turned to Bella and said, "Sorry about all that, baby. I should've warned you it would be that way."

Her soft eyes and loving smile immediately caused Velvet Junior to react and I was actually a little embarrassed that he was acting up just then. My only saving grace was that Bella and I were alone in the back of the car. Everyone else had been ushered into a different car by Rhianne and the bodyguards, which I hadn't thought about questioning until now. I picked up the intercom phone to ask the driver.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cullen, what can I do for you?" the driver said politely from the other side of the smoked glass that separated the compartments. I glanced around and noticed that there was a bottle of Dom Perignon chilling in an ice bucket to my left.

"Can you tell me where we're going?" I had a sneaking suspicion that Rhianne had planned something without telling me and if she had done what I thought she had, I was going to owe her another bonus.

"Yes, sir, Miss Adams instructed me to drop the two of you off at the Drake Hotel." Fuck. Rhianne was _always _a step ahead of me.

"Thank you," I said before hanging up the intercom.

I grabbed the bottle of champagne and popped the top, pouring two glasses. I handed Bella one and turned to her. Her face still held the same loving look. I could have gotten lost in her eyes forever. I clinked my glass gently against hers and said, "Here's to our wedding night, Mrs. Cullen."

Bella's eyes were full of wonder when we walked into the Presidential Suite at the Drake. We had stayed in some swanky places, but this suite beat all. We had fabulous views of the lake and the suite was really spacious. It was at least as big as my apartment just a few blocks away, but provided us privacy and anonymity that I feared we wouldn't be able to have either at my apartment or house tonight.

Rhianne had left no detail undone. She had taken the liberty of having suitcases delivered to the suite, which were already in the bedroom and laying open. A spread of fresh food was on the dining room table, and it was obvious that the staff's timing had been impeccable because the candles had been lit just before we arrived, by the looks of things. I sat the champagne bottle down on the table and took Bella in my arms, pressing my lips softly against hers. She kissed me back hungrily and our bodies melted together.

Before we got too carried away, I suggested we eat our dinner. Bella agreed and we sat across from each other at the candlelit table. I must have spent more time watching Bella eat than eating myself. Each time she opened her mouth to put something in it, I couldn't take my eyes off her. Her mouth was just so damned sensuous.

We chatted about court and what she thought of Tanya, having met her twice now. Bella didn't have many good things to say about Tanya, which was really funny to me for some reason.

When we both finally pushed away from the table, Bella smiled at me seductively before she walked into the bedroom and shut the door in my face. I tried it, but she had it locked. I sighed before going back to the living room and plopping down on the couch. Denied. Damn. I couldn't help but wonder what she could possibly be doing in there and had worked myself into a frenzy of fantasy before I heard the lock on the bedroom door click. I heard her giggling and her soft footsteps running in the other room.

When I pushed open the door, she was sitting on the bed. Soft light shone in from the windows and highlighted the golden strands in her chestnut hair that was cascading over her shoulders. I stopped and took a sharp intake of air as my eyes wandered down and I took in the black lace negligee that left very little to the imagination. I looked back up at her shining face and saw that her bottom lip was carefully wedged in her teeth, but she was still smiling.

I beheld the beauty that sat in front of me and all of the events of the last couple of days crashed all around me like lava-bombs from a volcanic eruption. Bella was mine. I had gotten married again… something that a year ago I had sworn would never…ever…ever…happen again. I was one day closer to hopefully making Abby mine forever without having to worry about that bitch… uh… whateverthefuck her name is... and Bella. Her name was the only one on my mind. When I said it, the sound was like heaven falling from my lips.

I crossed the distance between us quickly and knelt in front of her on the floor, placing my head on her lap and wrapping my arms around her waist. I wasn't sure what I was feeling in that moment. I was overwhelmed. I loved her so fucking much. It was as though I couldn't breathe on my own. If there was even a millimeter of distance between us, I didn't feel whole.

Her hands came down and she lovingly stroked my hair, pulling her fingers through it, and murmuring whispered words of love to me.

The more time I spent with Bella, the more I felt like Edward and the less I felt like Velvet. It was wonderful and distressing all at the same time. I mean, what if I turned into some pussy-whipped love-struck dumbass who couldn't rap for shit? Everything I had done over the past few months had happened on instinct. Reading Bella's letter, writing back to her, emailing her, calling her, meeting her, taking her with me, falling head over heels in love with her, wanting her, needing her, marrying her… none of it had been anything I had to think about. It just felt… right. And it still did. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to possess her. No. I _needed_ to possess her. No. That just sounds like some jealous fucked up control freak bullshit. I wanted… and needed… to share my life with her. I needed to love her and feel her love in return.

I sat up and looked into her gleaming eyes and saw everything I needed for the rest of my life in them. All the love, acceptance, desire… everything… that I needed to have in my life, were there in her eyes.

"Is everything alright, Edward?" she asked with concern darkening her features. I wanted to blurt out everything I had been thinking, but more than that, I wanted to make love to my wife. My wife. MY wife. My WIFE.

"Everything is perfect, my Bella, as long as you're with me," was the pansy-assed shit that finally came out of my mouth. Sometimes when I was with Bella, I wondered who the fuck I actually WAS.

She smiled lovingly and grasped my forearms, squeezing them tightly before resting her hands softly on them, running her thumbs back and forth across my skin and causing goosebumps to rise all over me. Then, of course, there was the biggest goosebump of all, Velvet Junior, who seemed to have finally risen from his dead slumber.

I pulled her to me, pulling her closer to the edge of the bed, and leaned up to kiss her. When our lips met, it was soft, and warm, and sensual. There was no urgency, but there _was_ lust. I nibbled gently at her lips before darting my tongue out of my mouth and across them. Her lips parted and I felt it all the way to my toes when our tongues met. I slid my tongue along hers and into her mouth, deepening the kiss, while I crawled up from the floor onto the bed next to her. I pulled her along with me and soon we were in the middle of the bed kissing, moaning, touching each other.

I took my time that night, touching her skin, feeling her warmth, bathing in my desire for her and hers for me. I leaned up on my elbow so that I could kiss a line across her jaw and down to the hollow of her neck, then across her shoulder. My thumb brushed across her nipple and I felt it pebble in response to my touch.

Bella started to unbutton my shirt and with a grin, I sat up and yanked it open, buttons flying across the room in every direction. Bella giggled softly as I pulled the shirt off and discarded it on the floor.

"Your laughter is music to my ears, love," I whispered before reaching down to pull her to me. I needed to feel her skin against mine. I needed to feel our hearts pounding together. Her hands ran up and down my sides and I could feel my muscles ripple in response.

I finally shed my suit pants and boxers, and laid with her on the bed. The kisses, the touches… it was all amazing… and when I finally entered her, I felt like nothing else mattered. We were one. Forever.

After our mutual climaxes, we collapsed together on the bed and I pulled the covers up over us. Bella snuggled her head into the crook of my neck and we slept in a tangled mass of limbs. I couldn't tell where I stopped and she began.

Morning brought a new day and I was pleasantly surprised when I awoke to a big spread of breakfast food that had been brought to the bed by Bella. It was early, so we ate a leisurely breakfast while chatting about the day to come. Bella knew that I was stressed about what the day in court would bring, but as always, she calmed my fears and reminded me that she stood with me no matter what happened. I don't deserve her. She's too good to me.

Our arrival at the courthouse was as big a fiasco as our departure the previous afternoon had been. The fucking reporters and paps were everywhere. After we had finally pushed through the mess, going through security was like breathing a sigh of relief.

There were guards posted outside the courtroom and I raised my eyebrow and looked to Demetri to tell me what was going on.

"I petitioned the judge to ban the press from the proceedings," he shrugged. "The guards are just making sure that none of those vultures get in here."

I chuckled at a lawyer calling reporters vultures. It was completely oxymoronic and hysterical.

The knots in my stomach tightened when Tanya arrived, looking a little more on the conservative side. Apparently she decided that the slutty-whore look was out and the 'I'm a good mommy' look was in for the second day. I rolled my eyes and shook my head to which Bella giggled softly. The sound broke through my tension like a knife through butter and I turned around to talk to our family and friends who had gathered behind us.

Charlie walked to the aisle nearest the wall and motioned Bella over. I watched her bite her lower lip and then move towards him in trepidation. I started to get up but she motioned for me to stay, so I continued to visit with those left behind us, while keeping an ear out for any distress from Bella. When she came back and sat down, she had a look of relief on her face, but before I could ask her what was up, the bailiff had called for everyone to stand.

After the judge entered and we all sat down, Demetri told the judge that he had no more witnesses to call at this time, but reserved the right to call new witnesses after Tanya's side was done. Bella stiffened, but I put my arm around her and squeezed. We were in the home stretch and they had already questioned her. I couldn't imagine who they would have to call other than Tanya's crazy family at this point.

Unfortunately, I was right. Eleazar was called to testify as a character witness for his daughter. Seriously? She couldn't do any better than her father? I found myself rolling my eyes while Eleazar talked about how I wouldn't allow Carmen and him to see Abby, wouldn't allow her aunts to spend time with her, how horrible I had been to Tanya. Demetri nailed him though. It was one of the best moments of my life.

"Mr. Denali, did you ever witness Mr. Cullen's alleged abuse of Ms. Cullen?"

"Well, no, but I had to…"

"Did you ever see bruises on her?"

"No, but he's smart, he never…"

"Were you ever called to the hospital to pick her up due to injuries caused by Mr. Cullen?"

Eleazar was squirming in his chair. Every time he tried to elaborate, Demetri cut him off. I could feel myself smirking, but damn it, I couldn't stop.

"No, I never had to…"

"Have you ever been called to bail Ms. Cullen out of jail for drug related charges?"

Eleazar silently stared at Demetri, obviously not wanting to answer. The tension in the air was palpable and the silence was deafening. After a full minute of waiting, the judge ordered Eleazar to answer the question. I celebrated within my own mind.

"Yes." Huh. Eleazar didn't seem to want to embellish so much information to this particular line of questioning.

"Have you picked Ms. Cullen up at the hospital following an overdose?"

Eleazar's eyes dropped to his lap and his voice was barely above a whisper when he answered, "Yes."

"And Mr. Denali, how many times, would you estimate, that you've either bailed Ms. Cullen out of jail or picked her up at the hospital following an overdose?"

Eleazar continued to stare at his lap, or the floor, or whatever he was looking at. "Several," he muttered.

"Can you be more specific, Mr. Denali? Would you say it's ten times? Twenty? Thirty?" Demetri asked with his back to Eleazar, looking directly at Tanya.

"Probably about fifteen times," Eleazar said miserably.

Demetri turned back to him and walked up to the witness box. "So, you're telling me that you never witnessed any of the alleged abuse perpetrated on Ms. Cullen by Edward, you never saw a bruise on her that he inflicted, never picked her up at the hospital after he had allegedly beaten her, but you've picked her up from either jail or the hospital following a drug related incident about fifteen times, and you are here today telling the court that you think this makes her more of a fit parent than Edward is?"

Eleazar's eyes were wide and he nodded once.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Denali, I don't think the court could hear your answer," Demetri prodded.

"Yes. I'm here on behalf of my daughter's right to custody of her daughter."

"Thank you, Mr. Denali. That will be all," Demetri said icily and strode back to the table to sit.

The judge excused Eleazar and asked for the attorneys to approach the bench. I couldn't hear what they were saying because they were all whispering, but the judge looked irritated. Bella clasped my hand and squeezed it, reminding me that she was there with me. Every time she did that, it was like a shot of the world's best euphoric drug had just been injected into my veins and was roaring through my body, working its magic.

Demetri walked back to the table with a smirk on his face. I looked to him to tell me what was happening, but he just shook his head and sat down. The judge shuffled some papers on his desk and then folded his hands in front of him before addressing the court.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I've heard all I need to hear to make a decision in this case. Unless anyone else has anything to add that would actually be helpful, I'm ready to render my decision."

I was a little surprised by how quickly the judge had ended Tanya's so-called assault on me. Demetri stood and said, "The petitioner has nothing more to add, Your Honor."

The judge nodded and looked over at the table where Tanya was arguing with her attorneys. He pounded his gavel on the base once. "Does the respondent have anything else to add?"

One of Tanya's attorneys stood, cleared his throat, and said, "Your Honor, if we may, we'd like to confer with our client. May we ask for a sixty minute recess?"

The judge rolled his eyes. "You've got fifteen minutes. Make it quick," he said, his voice laced with irritation. He pounded the gavel again and stood to go into his chambers.

Tanya and her attorneys made a quick exit out into the hallway and our side of the courtroom immediately erupted into chatter. Demetri told us that the judge had told them he was done listening. Tanya's lawyers had tried to argue, but to no avail. Tanya could be heard yelling out in the hallway, even through the heavy oak doors that separated the courtroom from the hall.

Bella whispered to me that her father had called her over to the corner to apologize to her for the Jacob situation and for her humiliation on the stand because of it. I was happy that at least that tiny piece of good had come of the whole thing.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly and before I knew it, the judge was again taking the bench. My stomach knotted again, but only briefly. Tanya's attorney stood and asked that they be allowed more character witnesses who had different experiences with Tanya, but the judge denied them stating Tanya's record spoke for itself. I was almost giddy.

He awarded sole custody of Abigail to me. Tanya's visitation rights were suspended pending successful drug treatment. She was also ordered to pay child support and a restraining order was put on her to keep her away, not only from Abby and me, but from Bella, any member of my family or Bella's, and any person or persons employed by me.

After the judge got done reading his decision and left, I turned to Bella and hugged her tightly. We were interrupted by the sound of fists pounding on the table in front of us. Bella jumped and I turned to see what the fuck was going on. The bailiff was on his way over while Tanya screamed at me.

"You miserable fucking prick! How fucking _dare_ you do this to me!" The bailiff took hold of her arm and she snatched it out of his grip. Her attorneys flanked her and started trying to pull her away from the table, but she fought them as well. I didn't bat an eye. I just stared at her. She was completely off her rocker. Insanity was present in her eyes.

"You're going to regret this, Cullen!" she screamed as her attorneys dragged her away and out of the courtroom. "I'll get you! I'll get her back one way or the other!"

After she was in the hall I looked at Bella and started laughing. "Well, that was interesting," I mused.

We all rushed out of the courtroom then and plowed through the crowd to the cars. Rhianne got into the car breathless, looked at me, and said, "You really need to give them something, Edward."

I nodded and got back out of the car with Emmett and Matt by my side. The reporters all stuck their microphones in my face and started shouting questions, but I just held up my hand.

"I'm just going to make a brief statement. I've got my baby and I'm thrilled that the judge saw fit to award me sole custody. Bella and I were married yesterday in a small private ceremony and we couldn't be happier. I leave tomorrow to finish my 'Heartache & Misery 2009 World Tour,' so I hope to see you all again soon." I waved to the cameras and got back in the car as the shouted questions were muffled by the closing of the car door when Emmett climbed back inside.

Back at the house, there was a flurry of activity. Charlie had to be taken to the airport so he was packing. Bella and I were leaving on tour the next day, so we were packing. Alice and Jasper were leaving the next day so they were packing. Rosalie was leaving on the same flight as Charlie, so she was packing. Emmett, who was really enjoying his role as bodyguard, was staying with us for a while. In fact, Rosalie would be joining us in a few days after she took care of some things at her dealership. Bella and I were both ecstatic that Emmett and Rosalie were going to join us. Alice had also made some noises about moving to Chicago and she was working on Jasper to move his practice. It was all still up in the air, but Bella was excited that her friends wanted to be near her.

I didn't tell Abby about the verdict. It wouldn't have meant anything to her anyway. She was too busy playing with the new American Girl doll that Bella had ordered for her to care about anything else that was going on.

My parents came over for dinner that night. Bella was quiet and picked at her food, although it was delicious. I knew she was sad that Charlie had left, but wasn't sure what else was going on with her. Before Carlisle and Esme left that night, she asked to talk to Carlisle in private for a moment. It bothered me, but I didn't think it was a big enough deal to question her about it.

We went to bed early and Bella snuggled right up to me, but fell asleep almost instantly. It had been a long day for both of us, but I found myself unable to get to sleep. Finally, after tossing and turning for a couple of hours, afraid that I would awaken Bella, I got up and went downstairs to my small private studio and laid down a couple of tracks just for the hell of it. I was excited about the new studio that would start construction soon. I spread the plans out in the mixing room of my current studio and looked at them for about the thousandth time.

I checked the clock and noted that it was three in the morning. Fuck. I needed to sleep. I sighed and picked up my glass of vodka that I had been nursing for a couple of hours. The ice was gone and the vodka was watered down. It tasted like shit. I went over to the wet bar to dump it out and start over when I heard the door open. I turned to find Bella standing there in one of my black t-shirts.

"I'm sorry, baby, did I wake you?"

She smiled. "No, I woke up on my own. Whatcha doin' down here?"

I went to her and took her hand, leading her into the live room. "Just messin'. Wanna mess around with me?" Bella giggled and I realized what I had said. "No, no, I didn't mean that… what I meant was…" She shut me up by covering my lips with hers.

"But I do want to mess around," she whispered.

Fuck.

I glanced around the room and tried to figure out where it would be best to deal with the situation. My eyes landed on the ottoman of the chair in the corner. I motioned her with my eyes and she immediately walked over to the ottoman and sat down on it, pulling me to her.

"Fuck, Bella," I said in a strangled voice I didn't recognize as my own when she lowered my sleep pants and took me in her mouth. I kicked the sleep pants away and laid my hands gently on her head. I didn't want her to feel like I was pushing her, but _fuck_ her mouth on me felt good. She wrapped her hand around the base of my dick and pumped it a couple of times, which made me weak in the knees. I stood there, looking down at her, watching my cock disappear between her lips. It was the most erotic thing I had ever seen. I was fascinated and addicted, immediately, to the sight.

Bella smirked up at me with her lips devouring my cock and then cupped my balls. My fucking balls. Holy mother of fuck it felt good. I moaned loudly and was intrigued by how the sound disappeared in the sound proof room.

I lightly massaged her scalp and tried to keep my eyes on her while her tongue swirled maddeningly around the head of my cock and then touched that place just behind the head on the bottom of it that sent my libido soaring. I was trying like hell to not do anything that would stop her from continuing on her course, but my hips bucked towards her of their own volition. Fear welled in me, but Bella just hummed around my cock and I saw the corners of her mouth go up into what could only be a smile. The vibrations her voice sent through my cock, into my balls, and into the very pit of my being were driving me insane.

I watched as she put her index finger in her mouth alongside my generous prick. I couldn't fucking _stop_ watching her. With one hand she reached behind me and squeezed my ass, then pulled me even closer to her, swallowing more of my dick. I moaned and threw my head back, and just as I did, I felt her wet finger pushing against my anus. My hands fisted in her hair and I did nothing but moan and pump her mouth as her slippery finger slid just inside my ass and pushed forward. I could feel her finger wiggling a bit and when she pushed down with a little more force, she found a highly sensitive area that caused me to come undone. I didn't even have time to think. I just exploded in her mouth. It happened so fast that I hadn't warned her or anything. I was equal parts turned on, shocked, and angry with myself so I pulled back quickly, panting, and dropped to my knees in front of her.

"Oh God, Bella, I'm sorry," I said between breaths, but she shushed me by placing her lips on mine and kissing me with wild abandon. I could taste myself on her tongue and in any other situation, it would have completely repulsed me, but somehow, with Bella, it was a fucking turn on.

It couldn't have been more than a minute before my cock was rock-hard and ready to go again. Remembering my original plan, I turned her and pushed her over the ottoman. She moaned and said, "Fuck!" as I took her from behind, sliding my dick into her slowly, feeling her muscles pull me inside of her. She pushed back to meet me and when I was fully sheathed inside of her, I grabbed her hips and held her steady, wanting to feel every glorious inch of her pussy pulsing around me.

She wiggled her ass and moaned, "Edward, please," and I couldn't contain the guttural groan that ripped from my lips as I started pumping her. Hard. She met my thrusts and the sounds disappeared in the room.

Her ass slapped hard against my hips "thwack" and the sound disappeared.

My balls made contact with her clit "pop" and the sound disappeared.

We both moaned and growled and cried each other's names, and the sounds all disappeared into the depths of the room.

It was eerie. And hot. And fucking amazing.

I reached beneath Bella and found her hard nub with my fingers, swirling them around it, and Bella slammed into me and screamed. I pumped her hard a few more times and felt her orgasm explode around my cock, which sent me over the edge with her.

A few minutes later, Bella was still lying over the top of the ottoman and I was laying over her. We were both panting and covered in sweat. My softening dick finally slid out of her and she moaned with the loss of contact. I pulled myself together and threw my ass in the overstuffed chair, pulling her onto my lap as I went. She curled up in my arms and buried her head in the crook of my neck, still heaving with the intensity of her climax.

I awoke a couple of hours later, still in the chair with Bella curled in my lap. I looked around the room and inhaled deeply, still able to smell the scent of our sex in the air. I smiled to myself and looked over at the clock, which told me it was just after six. I knew I had to wake her up and get us both out of there before we were discovered, but damned if I wanted to.

After a little coaxing, I got her awake and put my t-shirt back on her. She shivered and I realized that it had cooled down significantly in the studio. It was always difficult to tell when the fans came on to cool the equipment because they were silent, but I felt the breeze from them on my naked skin as I pulled my sleep pants back on and led Bella out, turning off the lights as I did. I also turned off the equipment in the control room and grabbed my phone, pocketing it, as we made our way out of the basement studio and up the stairs.

Loud banging on the main floor of the house surprised me as we made our way out of the basement. Bella's eyes widened as we took in the scene before us when we exited the basement door. There were three uniformed police officers in the kitchen along with several plain clothes officers wandering between the kitchen and the living room. It seemed as though everyone in the house was up except for Abby and Mary. I kissed Bella on top of the head and sent her upstairs to get dressed before I walked into the kitchen to address the hoard of people gathered there.

"What's going on?" I bellowed to get everyone's attention.

Esme… _What the fuck is she doing here at this hour of the morning?..._ ran over to me and threw her arms around me.

"Edward, where in God's name have you been all night?"

I blinked a couple of times, not sure where she was going with this. I saw Carlisle walking towards me with a look of concern on his face. My thoughts went immediately to Abby.

"I've been in the studio downstairs. It's soundproof and we fell asleep… What's wrong? Where's Abby?" I started to turn to go upstairs and look for her when Carlisle stopped me.

"Abby's fine, Edward. She's upstairs sleeping."

I turned back to him and stared. I couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened and why my house was full of cops if Abby was okay. One of the plain clothes officers strode towards me and took my hand firmly, shaking it.

"I'm Detective Peterson, Mr. Cullen. You gave us all quite a scare for a while."

I shook my head and knitted my brow in confusion. "What do you mean? I've been downstairs in the studio all night. I…"

"Sit down, Mr. Cullen. We need to talk." Detective Peterson motioned towards the kitchen table where two other detectives sat with mounds of paperwork spread out all over the place.

I warily walked to the table and pulled out a chair to sit when I felt Bella's presence by my side. She tapped me lightly on the arm and handed me a shirt. I looked to her gratefully and pulled it over my head, noticing as I did so that it was the shirt she had been wearing just moments before because it still smelled of her. Evil vixen.

She sat down next to me and took my hand as we both anxiously stared across the table at the three detectives who stared back at us. Detective Peterson seemed to be in charge and he did all the talking.

"Mr. Cullen, can you tell me again where you've been all night?"

"I've been downstairs in my studio. I couldn't sleep and didn't want to wake Bella so I went down to lay down a few experimental tracks. Bella joined me around three and we fell asleep in the live room." I felt blush heating my cheeks as I explained this to the cop who had yet to tell me why I was explaining myself. "We just woke up and came upstairs to this," I finished, motioning around the room.

"Can you prove you were there all night?"

What the fuck? "Do I _need_ to prove I was there all night?"

"You might."

"Fine. Has anyone called Demetri?" I asked loudly and in a very angry voice. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but it was obvious that I was suspected of some crime if the cops wanted an alibi for me.

"Demetri is on his way," Carlisle said gravely.

"Good. Now is somebody going to tell me what the fuck is going on around here?" Bella's hand was sweating and squeezing mine. I was confused. I felt Carlisle's hand on my shoulder, but didn't know what to think of anything. Before another minute had passed, Demetri breezed into the kitchen and took the seat next to me.

"May I continue?" Detective Peterson asked Demetri, who nodded.

Before he could address me, his cell phone rang and he pulled it out of the holder on his belt and answered. "Peterson here. Yes. Yes, he's here. Oh. I see. Uh huh…"

His conversation continued that way for a few moments and it was driving me fucking nuts. I looked over at Demetri and said, "Do you know what the fuck's going on?"

Demetri opened his mouth to speak just as Detective Peterson closed his phone. I turned to look at the Detective and watched his jaw tighten and relax a couple of times before he finally spoke. When he finished, I sat there, my mouth agape. The implications of what he had just told me were far-reaching. I said the first thing that came to my mind.

"What do you mean 'do I own a gun'?"

* * *

_**End Note: **Yes, yes, I know. Evil Cliffie. I'm prepared for all the flamage. Just remember, I've had one hell of a last four weeks and I'm not above flaming back. 'Nuff said._

_Since we're going to have ONE more chapter in Chicago... at least... obviously, I'm going to go ahead and send the Vixen's their tour dates. So, here we go..._

_Nashville, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh/Durham, Washington DC, Toronto Canada, Montreal Canada, Quebec City Canada, Calgary Canada, Vancouver Canada, Dublin Ireland, London England, Manchester England, Glasgow Scotland, Paris France, Munich Germany, Berlin Germany, Rome Italy, Sydney Australia, Tokyo Japan, Rio de Janiero, and back to Chicago for the tour closer. NOW... If I've missed ANYONE, let me know in your review and those cities will be added on as we finish out the story. Mmmmkay?_

_A BIG shout out to all my Aussie readers. You know who you are. I got nothin' but love for all of ya! I might actually have more Aussie fans than US fans at this point... Come on US girls, you're gonna have to catch up!_

_Many have asked how they get to be a Velvet's Vixen or if they can be one. Anyone who leaves a review for this story is AUTOMATICALLY inducted into the Velvet's Vixens and gets VIP passes for the shows ;) and a bus ticket for the VV Tour Bus, and I'm thinking by the looks of the tour dates that we're going to have to charter a plane. Everyone game for that? Remember, if you are already a Velvet's Vixen because you've already reviewed this story, then your continued reviews buys fuel for the tour bus/chartered jet. _

_Miss Lillie... I couldn't have made it through the last 30 days without you. All my lubs bb. MWAH_

_Thank you DefinatelyStaying for your precious advice concerning a certain scene in this chapter. :)_

_All the rest of my girls... LOVE YOU._

_Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and if you don't celebrate those, Happy whatever you do celebrate to you!_


	29. Elphaba

_**Disclaimer: **SM owns all things Twilight, I own all things EC Velvet. Don't steal my shit._

_**A/N: **Happy New Year everyone!_

_Thank you Miss Lillie ~ Love you Hard!_

* * *

_**Edward**_

"Don't answer that, Edward. Detective Peterson, are you charging my client with a crime?" Demetri chimed in before anything else could be said.

"Not at this time, but I'm sure you can understand how he would be a person of interest in this case, Mr. Moretti." Detective Peterson drummed his fingers on the table in irritation.

Bella was squeezing my hand so tightly that it was cutting off the circulation to my fingers. I looked to her to try and reassure her, but the look in her eyes was one of pure terror. She was biting her lower lip so hard that I feared she would bite right through it.

"I can understand why he would be a person of interest, but I want to know if this is an official questioning. Is he a suspect? Whether or not you get any questions answered right now depends on that. If he is, I'm not inclined to allow him to answer any questions at this time. He's already told you that he was home all night. What else do you need?"

Detective Peterson stood up and paced the kitchen floor. It was plain to see that he was miffed. His cell rang again and he answered it, walking into the foyer as he did so. Bella burst into tears and threw her arms around me.

"Oh my God, Edward. What on earth is happening?" I held her and stroked her back, running my hand up and down it, feeling her heaving sobs.

"Shhh, Bella. Everything's gonna be just fine. What the hell, Demetri? Who even let them in my fucking house?" I glanced around the room and Carlisle answered my query.

"I let them in, Edward. I'm sorry."

"You? But… what?" I was confused. I thought Carlisle had arrived after the police were at my house.

"I got a call from a friend at County. When they brought the body in, he was worried about you. I tried to call and when you didn't answer, I was worried, too, so Esme and I came over. We looked all over the house for you, but didn't think to look downstairs. You and Bella were both gone and we were concerned that something had happened to the both of you. When the detectives arrived, I let them in. When they arrived, I asked them for some uniforms in case someone were to come after Abby. I hope you understand, Edward. We were just concerned."

It had never occurred to me that this could be about me. I mean, when you're famous, you always run the risk of some psycho deciding to take you and your entire family out, or trying to provide you with their version of 'justice.' I hadn't had any threats of late, but it had happened before. Hell, that's why security was of such importance to me. I nodded to Carlisle and turned my attention back to Detective Peterson as he re-entered the kitchen and sat down.

"Alright, Mr. Cullen. We've got a lead. I would like to ask you to remain in town until we sort this out." I started shaking my head before he was even done speaking.

"I've got a tour going on right now. Do you have any idea how many hundreds of thousands of dollars it would cost me if I cancelled or rescheduled any of my tour dates? The record company would take it out of my ass. I can't afford to do that." Detective Peterson looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I guess as long as we can get in touch with you if we need to, it's not that big of a deal. It's not like you're going to be able to go anywhere that the press isn't going to find you anyway. You're not leaving the country anytime soon are you?"

_Fuck. _

"We have Canadian dates starting in a couple of weeks."

"Well, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

At least it was something I could live with.

The detectives all gathered up their belongings and got up to leave. Detective Peterson asked me if I wanted the uniformed officers to stay behind. I told him I'd rather they didn't. If we needed to go on lockdown, the place was like a fortress. I was still not convinced that we were in any danger. He nodded in agreement and ushered the uniformed officers out the door. As they went, two of them asked for autographs, which I quite willingly provided. Just before Detective Peterson left, he asked if I could prove that I was in my studio all night if the need arose.

"Yeah. That's not a problem. My computer system down there timestamps everything. I should be able to account for the entire night."

He shook my hand and stepped out into the early morning fog. I watched the cars pull out of the drive and watched the gate close behind them. I felt sure that this had been a random act, or maybe not so random, but had nothing to do with me.

I walked into the living room, a little more than stunned. Bella was immediately by my side as I looked to Carlisle for answers.

"So… she's dead?" Carlisle nodded his head.

"I'm sorry, Edward." The hell?

"Fuck, don't be sorry to me, Dad. I just don't know what the hell to tell Abby. Do I tell her? Do I not? Do I take her to the funeral? Do I not? I honestly don't know what the fuck to do."

"Language, Edward," my mom's voice said from behind me. I rolled my eyes. She was relentless. I was a little irritated, stressed, and wasn't really concerned about my use of language right at that moment. Whatever the case, I lashed out at her needlessly.

"Have you ever listened to any of my albums, Mom? Seriously. This is the way I talk. Get the fuck over it."

"Edward." It was all Carlisle had to say to me. I knew I was being too hard on her.

"Sorry, Mom. I'm a little stressed." Bella and I sat on the couch near the fireplace and she rubbed her hand up and down my arm. I closed my eyes and laid my head on the back of the couch, going over the events of the last hour.

Tanya had been found dead in an alley somewhere in south Chicago in a neighborhood well known for drugs, prostitution, and violence. She'd been severely beaten, had possibly OD'd on something, and had been shot in the chest. What. The. Fuck. Was she fucking crazy or something? Okay, well, that was a rhetorical question. I already knew the answer. She was a certifiable fucking lunatic.

Bella was talking softly to my parents and Rhianne. Somewhere along the line, Mary had joined us. My cell phone vibrated in my pocket and I begrudgingly fished it out. I looked at the screen and rolled my eyes before I answered it. I probably shouldn't have, but I did anyway. It was the right thing to do.

"You should be in jail," Kate sneered through the phone.

"I'm really sorry to hear the news about your sister, Kate. Is there anything I can do for you or your family?" Talking to Kate was akin to talking to Tanya. I just had to bite my tongue and be the bigger person.

"Don't you think you've done enough, you piece of shit?!" she spat.

I sighed and toyed with hanging up on her, but decided that would just be childish and unnecessary behavior, besides the fact that it would just antagonize her further. After all, it had been Tanya's family who had been quick to point the finger at me for her death. "Kate, I didn't make Tanya's choices for her. We divorced because we weren't good for each other. It doesn't take away the fact that she was Abby's mom and the only thing that I ever wished was that she would have been able to reconcile that in her mind rather than making selfish decisions that left Abby out of the equation in her life."

"Oh, so now you're going to play 'Mr. I-loved-her-but-she-was-stupid'?" Kate clearly wasn't understanding me.

"Did you call for something other than to insult me?"

"Abby needs to be at her mother's funeral. We don't know when the coroner will release the body. My mother asked me to call and see what time we can pick Abby up so that she can be with us until the funeral."

_Fuck. Damn it all to fucking hell. Shit. _

"Uh, just a minute, Kate. Can you hang on?" She sighed, but agreed. I muted the phone and asked Demetri what the fuck I should do. While I felt that in some sick way Kate was right and Abby should be with them, I didn't trust them and no legal provisions had been made as of yet for visitation with them. I wasn't about to just start letting them fucking pick her up and keep her whenever they wanted to. Arrangements would have to be made.

The first thing Demetri told me was to quit talking to her, or any other member of the family for the time being. I handed him the phone to let him deal with it, which he did. When he hung up he shook his head.

"She's almost as big of a piece of work as her sister was," he said, then continued, "Whether Abby goes to Tanya's funeral is up to you, Edward, but they won't be trying to pick her up and keep her until then. Some arrangements for visitation will have to be made through the court."

"Thanks." Demetri was good to me, but all of his assistance came at a price. I paid him well, so it didn't bother me to ask him to help with trivial things.

Alice, Jasper, and Emmett rolled into the living room shortly afterwards, all looking bleary eyed. They had apparently slept through all of the chaos. When we told them what was happening, they were appalled; mostly that no one had awakened them earlier. Emmett was on his phone with Rosalie immediately, which reminded Bella that she should call Charlie. I headed into the kitchen to turn on the television and see what the damage was with the media.

Shortly thereafter, Paul arrived at the house with Sam in tow. I noticed when I opened the door for them that the media circus had already begun out in front of my property.

The rest of the morning was filled with phone calls and planning. When Abby got up, I grabbed Bella and we took her to our bedroom to talk to her.

"Abigail, I have something I have to tell you, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy!" Abby climbed up on my lap and looked up at me with her bright green eyes. Bella sat next to us and rubbed circles on my back with her hand.

"Abby, something bad happened to Mommy last night. She was… sick… and she died." I was pretty sure that was the best way to explain it to her, but still didn't know if she would completely understand.

Abby looked thoughtful and her eyes flitted from me to Bella and back. "You mean Tanya, Daddy?" she whispered.

I had never heard Abby refer to Tanya by her first name and it took me by surprise. "Uh, yeah, Tanya," was my lame reply. I waited for Abby to react.

Her little face flickered and I braced myself for the tears that were sure to come, but they didn't.

"Will she be happy now, Daddy?" My little girl's words hit me like a wrecking ball. How did she get to be so smart? I knew that she had been through a lot and was probably more grown up than she should be at age four, but this revelation just slayed me. I started to nod before I even answered.

"Yeah, baby. I think she'll be happy now, wherever she is." Bella's arm snaked around my waist and squeezed me tight. I was so thankful to have her there with me, to help me, to share with me, to be my support.

"You hungry, Abby? Want me to make you pancakes?" Bella asked, chucking Abby on the chin.

Abby squealed and flew into Bella's arms. As she stood and left the room with her, I mouthed a thanks to her and that I loved her, to which she blew me a kiss. As they exited the door, Abby blew me a kiss, too.

"I love you, Daddy!" she cried.

After they left, I sat there on the edge of my bed in the silence. I couldn't say that there wasn't a part of me that was sad about Tanya's death, because there was, but that part of me was mostly sad for Abby that her mother had died. I mean, I'm not some kind of monster. I _do_ have feelings. I thought back over Tanya's and my marriage and remembered the happy times that we _did_ have. I remembered the day that Abby was born and how I fell in love with her the instant I saw her and I remembered the fun that Tanya and I had together when we were younger. Considering I had lost my parents when I was young, I knew I was going to have a lot of work to do with Abby. It made me sadder than anything that Abby had followed in my footsteps in that respect.

Arrangements were pending for us to fly to Nashville. I sent the rest of the guys ahead of Bella and me, wanting us to be able to take off at the last minute if necessary. Matt and Emmett remained with us, as well as Rhianne. Everyone else took off, including Alice and Jasper, who weren't very happy about leaving us all in the midst of a mess, but Bella assured them that everything would be fine.

Demetri headed back to his office, assuring me that there would be no problem with my leaving town. I felt badly that everyone who left had to drive through all of the reporters that were gathered at the gate in front of my estate, but nobody seemed to mind.

A few hours later, I received a phone call from Detective Peterson letting me know that it was fine for me to leave. They had an eye witness that had fingered one of Tanya's drug dealers as the shooter, as well as the person who had beaten her up. It sounded like she had gone on a binge after court, went down to find her dealers, freaked out and OD'd on something, which pissed the drug dealer off, and he beat the hell out of her. Realizing that she was OD'ing on his doorstep, basically, he had shot her and run. It was a tragic ending to her life and I felt sure it was going to haunt my career somehow.

As Bella, Rhianne, Mary, Abby, Emmett, Matt, and I trooped out to the limousine to head for the airport, I tucked them all inside, and walked down to the gate to talk to the reporters. Emmett, ever the enthusiastic one, hopped out and joined me, making sure that they were all just reporters. I nodded to him in thanks before I opened the gate and stepped out to take a few questions. I answered a few before the questions started to get entirely too personal and I cut them off, telling them that I had to be on my way, as I had fans in Nashville expecting my arrival.

When we all finally boarded the private jet, I excused myself to the bedroom in back to take a nap, asking Bella to join me if she wished. Abby was getting a little crabby, so Mary asked if I minded it Abby joined us, which I didn't, of course.

We climbed onto the queen sized bed and Abby settled herself right between Bella and me. I laid on my side, staring across the bed at my two beautiful girls. Everything I wanted, everything that was important to me, everything that I cherished the most in my life, was right there on that bed with me. I couldn't imagine my life without either of them and felt like the luckiest man alive to have them there with me.

Bella stared back at me with just the hint of a smile on her face. "You okay, Edward? You look like you're lost in thought."

I reached across Abby and took her hand, bringing it over so that our clasped hands lay on Abby's chest. "Right now, I'm perfect. I have everything I need right here," I whispered back to her.

Abby reached up and put her little hands over the tops of Bella's and mine, looking from one to the other of us. "We're happy, aren't we, Daddy?" she asked, her bright eyes imploring me.

I kissed her on the forehead and said, "Yes, baby, we're happy."

Abby smiled and turned on her side, snuggling her back against my chest and her head against Bella's chest, before she sighed. It didn't take but a minute or two for her to be sound asleep. I chuckled softly.

"I wish I could fall asleep that fast," I said quietly. Bella smiled, and then her eyes fell closed, too.

I watched my girls for a few minutes before sleep finally took me as well. It was a peaceful rest, having both of them right there, and I realized that it was something Abby didn't get to do very often. When we all got up, I made a mental note to make sure that Abby got the benefit of a pajama party with Bella and me at least once a week, no matter where we were. She needed to feel the closeness and to know how very much we both loved her. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see that Bella loved Abby. She might even have loved her almost as much as I did, for which I was eternally thankful. It would have been… awkward… had Bella not taken to Abby right away.

The show in Nashville was awesome and Velvet came out in full force that night, giving me the adrenaline rush that I needed to perform. When it was over, I did my usual thing, hanging out backstage with the guys, Bella, the Vixens, and the roadies. Bella was hitting the Parrot Bay and pineapple juice pretty hard and I noticed that she was pretty lit before it got to be too late. Still being in Velvet mode, it made me horny as fuck to see her like that. She was fucking flirting with me like crazy, batting her eyelashes at me and letting her perfect hips swish back and forth when she walked.

At one point, she walked up to me, ran her index finger down the side of my face, and then tousled my hair before she laid a scorching kiss on my mouth. She then stepped back, winked, and sauntered off to get another drink. Shit she was hot. My semi-erect state threatened to become a raging hard-on, so I decided it was time for us to get the fuck out of there.

I said my goodbyes, grabbed my Okhotnichya bottle, took her hand, and led her straight out to the limo. I set her inside the car with the vodka while I stopped to sign a few autographs for the fans waiting outside. There was no way for me to catch them all, but I tried to get as many as I could before I dove into the limo and pinned Bella to the seat. She had a glass of vodka in her hand that she was trying to hand to me, which I accidentally knocked to the floor in my exuberance. It didn't matter. Bella was mine. All mine. And I was having her, as soon as possible. The stress of the day combined with the adrenaline of the show had heightened my need for her, if that were possible.

Bella gasped when I kneeled, hovering over her. I bent down and kissed her hard, my tongue pushing into her mouth and dancing with hers. When the vodka glass was gone from her hand, I reached down, grabbed both of her arms, and brought them up over her head, running my hands down the backs of them and then down her sides, brushing across the sides of her breasts on my journey to find the hem of her blouse.

I let my lips release her mouth and then, of their own volition, they travelled down to her neck and kissed and licked the tender flesh of her ear and throat. My hands had found what they were looking for and I gasped and shuddered when they met bare skin. There was no denying my involuntary responses to Bella's body. I couldn't even think about taking my hands off her.

Her hands reached up and fisted in my hair and I felt her mouth on my jaw, her breathing ragged and coming in short pants. Tired of holding her against the seat and not feeling her body against mine, I turned myself so that I was sitting and pulled her atop me. She pulled her short skirt up slightly and rubbed her pussy down the length of my caged erection.

"HolymotherofChrist – I hope we get to the hotel soon," I rasped. She pushed her heat against me once again and we both moaned at the sensation. Bella smirked at me and ran her hands up under my shirt, which definitely didn't help the tightness in my jeans. I squirmed a little, trying to get comfortable when her hand reached down and palmed me. She nipped at my neck with her teeth and it went through my entire body like a raging inferno.

The limo came to a stop and the driver opened the door. He cleared his throat and I grabbed the bottle of vodka as we started putting ourselves back together and climbing out of the car. We rushed inside, past all the people in the lobby, who were obviously hanging out waiting for a glimpse, and headed straight for the elevator. As soon as the elevator dumped us out on our floor, I clutched Bella's hand and went for our room at a dead run. We were both laughing and it was a good thing the whole floor was ours or we would have awakened all of the guests. I didn't even think about waking Mary and Abby, who were next door to us, as I opened the room door and we practically fell inside.

As soon as the door closed, I put the bottle of vodka on the nearest end table, and pushed Bella up against the door, yanking her blouse over her head as I did. I took her breasts and kneaded them roughly, placing my face between them so that I could lavish kisses on them both.

"Mine," I growled into her chest. She had the most perfect tits. I found the clasp to her bra and freed her, and her perfect tits, from it. Bella giggled and entwined her fingers in my hair again, although one hand seemed to find my jeans so that she could palm me again. Having my jeans on just wasn't going to do, so I released her breasts just long enough to rip open the buttons of the button-fly. It took Bella no time to take over and push my jeans off, along with my boxers. We were a mass of flying limbs ripping each other's and our own clothes off as we stumbled around the suite.

When we finally had both been relieved of our clothing, I grabbed Bella and lifted her up, unable to wait any longer. I positioned her and slid her down onto my cock, filling her. We both gasped and moaned aloud as Bella's legs automatically wrapped around my waist.

We fucked as though there were no tomorrow, both screaming, growling, groaning, and crashing our bodies together at a frantic pace. Bella's arms snaked around my neck and she held tight as she rode me, her head lolled back and her hair fanning out around her. It was an exquisite sight, and one that I definitely wanted to see again. Her eyes fell closed and a guttural sound came from her open mouth. I was thankful to feel her body tense because I was dangling from the ledge by a thread. I cradled her back with one arm and reached up to pinch a nipple as I felt my balls contract and my orgasm erupted within her. Bella screamed out something incoherent and thrust against me desperately, her body spasming with the strength of her own climax.

When we were both spent, I found the couch before my legs gave out, and we collapsed onto it in a heap of limbs, both of us panting. Bella's lips sought mine out and our tongues entwined, this time with less desperation than before. Our kiss was one of satisfaction and was languorous, each of us nibbling at the other's lips, sucking the other's tongue, whispered words of love and content falling from our mouths.

I finally caught my breath and got my wits about me. Bella's head was on my shoulder and she was gently kissing my neck, making shivers run through my body. The light sheen of sweat that had formed on her skin was evaporating and she shivered in the cool air of the hotel room, so I wrapped my arms around her and stood back up with the intention of putting her to bed.

Obviously, Bella had other ideas. "Take us into the bathroom," she whispered, still nibbling on my neck.

I obliged her and entered the large bathroom, flipping the light on before kicking the door closed with my foot. I placed Bella on the floor and marveled at her. _I did that_, I thought to myself, as I watched her wobble a bit and try to get her feet planted firmly underneath her. Her hair was a wretched mess, but it was so fucking sexy seeing her with that freshly fucked look. Her skin was flushed, her cheeks rosy, her lips slightly swollen from the intense kissing. I started to get hard again just looking at her.

She blinked at me once and then sauntered over to the shower and turned the spray on. Six showerheads began filling the room with steam and I quickly followed her, running my erection along her backside as she leaned into the shower to adjust the water temperature. She giggled and pushed back against me, eliciting another growl from my chest. I grabbed her waist and pushed her inside the shower, reaching behind to close the shower door, lest we turn the entire bathroom into a disaster area of water.

Once inside, she turned to me, washcloth in hand, and began soaping me up, first with the washcloth, and then with her bare hands. I closed my eyes and hummed with delight to the feeling of her soapy hands skimming over my body, massaging my tired muscles, tracing the ink on my skin. She washed every part of me carefully, only leaving my straining cock to fend for itself. She had me bend forward and she lathered up my hair with shampoo, working over my scalp with her fingernails. It was Heaven. When she finished with all the rest, she placed a soaped up hand on my dick and slid it down my length, causing another shudder to run throughout my entire body. She gently cupped my balls and soaped them up, too, smirking the entire time. Each time I tried to reach for her, she moved my hands away, gently telling me that she was taking care of me for a few minutes and to just shut up and enjoy it.

"Yes, ma'am," I smirked, letting my hands fall to my sides.

By the time she was done washing me, my dick was throbbing, aching for release. I truly wanted to wait until I got her into bed, but to my utter surprise, Bella dropped to her knees in front of me, sliding my length into her hot mouth. I gasped and reached out to brace myself on the walls of the shower, not wanting my knees to give out and collapse on top of her. Just as she had so skillfully done the night before, she brought me off within minutes, allowing me to release into her mouth. I pulled away from her, even though her tongue was still teasing my softening cock. I reached down to help her to her feet, brazenly kissing her and running my hands all over her body.

I wasn't about to let her get away with such shenanigans without returning the favor, so when I had recovered, I turned her around, and took my turn washing her, carefully running my hands over every inch of her body while murmuring, "Mine," at every single one of her body parts. She completely relaxed and let me wash her, and I enjoyed every second of it, sliding my hands over her perfect body, running a slippery hand between her legs, washing out her beautiful mahogany hair.

After all the soap was gone, I put Bella's strawberry scented conditioner on her hair and worked it through. I inhaled deeply as I loved the smell of Bella, and the conditioner was a part of that smell. When the conditioner was worked through, I gently guided her back against the corner of the shower, propped her foot up on the ledge that ran along the back side, and buried my face between her legs.

Bella had another earth shattering orgasm, thanks to my skilled tongue and fingers, and when she was finished, her legs were like jelly. I let her lean against me while I washed the conditioner out of her hair, then turned off the water and handed her a couple of towels, grabbing one for myself.

When we fell into bed together that night, Tanya's death was the farthest thing from my mind. The only thing that I could think of was how very perfect my life was going to be from then on with Bella and Abby by my side. Bella snuggled into my side and I slept better than I had for a while, holding her tight and planning for our future.

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_**End Note: **Does that make up for the cliffhanger I gave you all for Christmas? :)_

_Thank you SO MUCH for all of the wonderful reviews last chapter! I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of reviews I received. It was the most reviewed chapter I've ever written, so thanks to all you Vixens who reviewed! Maybe we can break the record this chapter? I've added a couple of stops on the tour which I will put up in the next A/N. Today we're in Nashville, then it's off to Jacksonville! Let's fuel the bus ladies!_

_Come play with us on Twitter! JuJuRN40_

_I'm changedbyedward on GChat._


	30. Harmony

_**Disclaimer: **All hail Stephenie Meyer for creating the Twilight Universe and for letting me take her characters and bend them to my will. This story and OC's belong to me._

_**A/N: **All my love to Lillie Cullen. She knows why._

_MUCHO thanks to Eyes of Topaz, Lead69, JustBiteMePlease, and Nan McCullen for pre-reading and beta'ing this chapter for me in Lillie's absence. You ladies all rock and made my shit sound all sophisticated. Hugs to each and every one of you. :)_

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_**Bella**_

It took about a week for the coroner's office to release Tanya's body. When her family calmed down, took a step back, and finally accepted what actually had happened, they were gracious enough to plan the funeral when Edward had a couple of days off from the tour so that we could all attend. They weren't really pleased that I was going, but Edward planned on being there, and where Edward was, I was.

Edward struggled with whether or not to let Abby view her mother's body. Kate, Irina, and Carmen were insistent that she be allowed to view it, but in the end, Mary and I won out. We thought it would be far too traumatic for her young mind to comprehend seeing her mother that way and Edward agreed.

We flew into Chicago the day of the wake. We had decided we would take Abby to that rather than the funeral. At least she wouldn't have to sit on a hard bench and be still and quiet for an hour for something she wouldn't necessarily understand.

Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando had been great. We were between Orlando and Miami when we broke for Tanya's service. I was completely overwhelmed by the fans' acceptance of Edward's and my marriage, and it made things so much easier for Edward that the fans were supportive rather than pissed off about it. The media had been somewhat of a circus with the wedding, the custody battle, and Tanya's murder all happening within a couple of days, but that was to be expected. Rhianne worked hard with the publicists to get statements out there that encouraged the proliferation of the truth rather than rumors. If anything, it kept Edward on the front page and at the forefront of the news broadcasts for a few days.

Edward was stressed and it was showing. Frankly, his attitude for the previous week had sucked. I, along with Rhianne, had done everything we could to make things easy on him, but he was letting things eat at him and we both knew it. He wasn't sleeping well and I had abandoned my sleeping pills in an attempt to stay up and comfort him at night. He was somewhat distant and abrasive and I was having trouble understanding this side of him, as it was something I hadn't seen before. Rhianne tried to assure me that it wouldn't last long, but I could tell by the look in her eyes that she wasn't sure either.

Having Emmett with us was great, though. He was always hysterical and when he was around, he seemed to be able to keep Edward upbeat, for which I was grateful. The morning we were to fly out for Tanya's wake, Emmett had come to our tour bus and started beating on the bedroom door at some ungodly hour. Edward yelled at him to go away, but Emmett was not easily deterred. He just threw the door open and barged right inside. We were both naked of course, and I gasped and pulled the sheet up around my neck when the door opened.

Emmett grinned and reached down with his huge hand, ripping the sheet off Edward completely.

"Dude! What the fuck?!" Edward yelled.

"Well, aren't we just a fucking ray of sunshine this morning?" was Emmett's reply. "You've got a personal appearance before we all fly out to Chicago, so get movin', dude!" Emmett stood over Edward with his arms crossed, waiting for him to get out of bed. I giggled in spite of how pissed Edward sounded as he grumbled something under his breath about 'fucking morning people,' crawled out of the bed and traipsed into the bathroom.

Once we were all on Edward's private jet, he seemed to calm some, although he was still strung pretty tightly. Finally having had enough of his shitty attitude paired with the fact that he wasn't talking to me about whatever was bothering him, I pulled him into the bedroom in the back of the jet and sat him down on the bed. I stood in front of him, just out of his reach, my arms crossed.

"Okay, Edward," I said," Enough is enough. Either talk to me or stop with the incessant moping."

He looked stunned for the briefest moment before realization flashed in his eyes. His demeanor softened immediately, and I could see that he wasn't even aware of how shitty he had been.

"Bella… I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"I know you didn't realize, Edward, which is why I'm in here with you now. You've got to remember that I'm your partner here. I'm not just one of the Vixens who's hanging around hoping you'll sleep with me. I'm your _wife_. If I can't help you through your shit, who's going to?" His shoulders slumped a bit and I felt bad for jumping his ass like that, but damn it all, we had just gotten married and I wasn't about to let him get by with his recent behavior.

"It won't happen anymore, Bella. I promise." His eyes were pleading with me to not question him further, but my gut instinct told me that I had to make him talk out whatever it was that seemed to be weighing so heavily on him.

"Good. I'm glad it's not going to happen anymore. Now, will you please tell me exactly what _it_ is?" I had decided not to cut him any slack or I would just be rewarding bad behavior, and that's never a good idea, right?

"It's a lot of things, Bella. You know, I'm not used to having someone that I can talk to about things who won't judge me. This," he said, gesturing between him and me, "is new to me. I'm sorry that I'm not perfect all the time."

I sighed and relaxed my stance. I walked over to the bed and sat next to him, putting my hand on his back, finding that he was breathing fairly hard and fast. I realized he was scared, but scared of what? What on God's green earth could EC Velvet, one of the biggest stars in the world, be afraid of?

I continued to move my hand soothingly over Edward's back, pressing gently against the knots I found there and feeling the heat radiating from them. It was a sign of the intensity of his stress.

I let my voice drop to the softer tone that I normally used with him. "You don't have to be perfect all the time, Edward. Nobody expects you to be, least of all me. I just expect you to remember that I'm your partner in all things, for better or worse. Remember? I didn't stand in front of the judge and say those words to you and not mean them, and I sure as hell hope that you meant them when you said them."

"Of course I did!" he shot back at me. I took a deep breath and continued.

"Well, then whatever this is that's bothering you has to go. You have to get it off your chest. What better way than talking to your wife… your partner… your soulmate about it?" I didn't want Edward to feel like he was being attacked, but at the same time I wanted him to grasp the concept that I was there, and I was real, and I loved him no matter what he had on his mind.

There was a knock at the door and Abby's giggle could be heard on the other side, followed shortly by Mary's scolding of her to leave Mommy and Daddy alone for a little bit. I wasn't having that. Mary wouldn't be there forever to be a buffer between us and Abby. We needed to step up and be her parents, now more than ever before. I walked over and opened the door.

Abby ran to me as soon as the door opened and threw her arms around me. "I wanna come in there with you," she pouted.

I kneeled in front of her and took her in my arms, making sure that when I spoke to her, I was at her eye level. "Abigail, Daddy and Mommy are talking right now. Can you give us just a few minutes to talk and then you can come in and lay down with us?"

She studied me, putting her tiny hand on my face as she often did. It was so endearing when you could see the cogs in her mind turning, trying to understand things.

"Can I watch SpongeBob when I get to come in?" she asked hopefully.

I chuckled and hugged her. "Yes, love. You can watch SpongeBob. We'll make sure to turn it up loud and sing the theme song just to irritate Daddy, okay?"

"Okay!" she cried, and skipped back to her seat next to Mary. I winked at Mary and she nodded at me, smiling. Mary was one of my closest allies in my fight to become a true mother to Abby, because God knew Abby needed one.

I went back to Edward who was watching me with wonder in his eyes. "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked softly.

I was a little confused by his choice of words, so I questioned him, only to find out that he wanted to know where I had learned to be a mother. It was a good question, actually.

I certainly hadn't gained any perspective on how to be a mother from my own mother. If there was an award for shittiest mother ever, my mom would have run a close second to Tanya, only being beat out by the drug abuse. No, Renee hadn't been a drug user, but when it came to being nurturing and responsible, her rating plummeted. The only person Renee ever had on her mind consistently was herself.

I answered him honestly, at least as honestly as I could. "Truthfully Edward, I don't know. Something inside me kicked into gear the first time I met Abby and it's been like that for me ever since." I shrugged my shoulders while taking my place next to my husband. It seemed like he was more apt to talk to me while I was sitting with him, so I was planning on sticking with what was working.

We sat in silence for a few minutes while I rubbed his back and kissed him gently on the cheek and neck. Finally, I said, "I'm here for you, Edward. I love you. I won't judge you. Please, _please_, just let me in?"

When he turned to face me, I was shocked by the sadness that shadowed his usually bright green eyes. It tore me apart to see him so sad and so full of confusion. He grasped my hand in his and I waited, watching him let his barriers down one by one. It took him some time, but he finally relaxed and accepted what I wanted of him, and it was then that he began to speak.

"Bella, I can't help but feel somehow responsible for Tanya's death. Maybe I pushed her too hard. Maybe I should have done something differently. I don't know." He moved his head from side to side, just slightly, and I could see that he was deep in thought. I waited silently, realizing that I had already known at least a part of what was troubling him. Edward felt guilty about Tanya, and that was something that only time would heal.

"All I know is that Abby's mother is dead, and no matter how wonderful a mother you are to her, the fact still remains that someday I'm going to have to deal with Abby regarding the loss of her mother. And… it's not just that… it's that it was a tragic death… a murder. How do I…?" He hesitated again, obviously thinking about what to say next.

I remained quietly supportive, holding his hand tightly in mine. I knew exactly what he was getting at. He had lost his parents, too, and was having a hard time reconciling the fact that Abby was going to have to overcome many of the same issues he had to deal with as a child.

He inhaled deeply before continuing. "It's just a little overwhelming, I guess." He paused and I nodded to show him I understood what he was saying. I would have thought him devoid of human emotion if he didn't find everything that had been happening to him overwhelming. I was overwhelmed myself and the only way I made it through that feeling was to hold tight to Edward and keep pushing forward.

"I can't help but feel that some of my choices were selfish and wrong, and not just recent ones, but ones I made years ago." Obviously, he was choosing his words carefully and deliberately. I maintained my silence, not wanting to interrupt his thought process. I stroked his hand and waited for him to continue.

"Tanya was never able to deal with things when it came to the press and all the attention. The touring, concerts, women back stage, studio time… it was always a contest for her to vie for my attention…" he trailed off briefly, and then resumed, his shoulders dropping slightly, "And I wasn't always the best about giving her the attention she probably deserved, either. I was busy building my career, building EC Velvet, putting him at the forefront of everything."

I leaned in and gave Edward an encouraging kiss, just to let him know that I was still there and willing to listen. Now that he had finally opened up to me, I wanted him to let it all out. I was ready for him to stop internalizing. He had to learn to trust me. He had been pissy and distant and not at all himself. I wanted Edward back. I knew he felt guilt over what Tanya had become, but I hoped that somewhere amongst all that guilt, he realized that Tanya had chosen her own path. I knew it wouldn't make what he felt were his own transgressions against her any easier for him to swallow, but surely he understood that.

"Now that I see what it did to her, and have had time to think about it all and my part in it…" His voice broke and I squeezed his hands. He turned his face to me and I could see that his eyes were filled with tears. My gut twisted in pain seeing him like that.

"I'm terrified that I'm going to do the same thing to you and drive you away, just like I did her, and… I'd never be able to live with myself if I did that to you, Bella." He shifted a bit and took another deep breath before continuing, probably to keep the tears from spilling over. It was too late for me. Tears were already tracing a path down my cheeks and dropping on my blouse, staining it. As much as I had thought I already knew what Edward was dealing with, I realized now that I hadn't even begun to know the extent of what he was feeling.

"I loved Tanya, but I never, ever felt for her the way I feel for you. It's like… without you, I don't exist. There's no Edward, no EC Velvet, no Abby's Daddy, nothing without you." Edward's voice broke again, and I reached up to wipe away the lone tear that rolled down his cheek. By now, his hands were trembling and I held tightly to them, hoping to offer him some comfort. At least this feeling was something that I could completely identify with. I felt non-existent without Edward, too.

"I'm scared that I've pulled you into this before you were ready and that when shit gets hard, you're going to have to turn to something for the attention you need, whether it be drugs, or alcohol, or other men…"

Edward's voice trailed off and he looked down at our clasped hands. He fiddled with my wedding rings for a minute and then just stopped. I reached up and placed my hand under his chin, bringing his face up to look at me once again. The pain written across it was evident and it ripped my heart out to see him hurting so badly. My thoughts were spinning chaotically out of control, trying to come up with the right words to say to make him understand that everything I was to him, he was to me, and then some. I gazed into his eyes for a long moment before I spoke. I finally understood that what he was afraid of was losing me.

"Edward, I want you to listen to me carefully, okay?" He nodded and cocked his head to the side ever so slightly, watching my face. I reached up and put my palm against his cheek, just like Abby would. I steeled myself against my emotional response to all that he had said and began trying to say the words, something, that would hopefully help him begin to heal.

"I love you. There is absolutely nothing in this world that could tear me away from you, except you. You're stuck with me for as long as you'll have me. The only way I'm leaving is if you send me away, and I don't think that's going to happen, right?" Edward nodded and pressed his cheek against my hand. I realized that my hands were the ones trembling now and I fought to gain control over my emotions. The last thing Edward needed was me freaking out and blubbering all over the place… like a girl. I took a deep breath and pushed on.

"You need to put your faith and trust in me. I'm _not_ Tanya. If I have a problem with how much attention I think I'm not getting, or how you're acting, you can just think back to today and remember that when enough is enough, I'm going to call you on it, and we're going to talk about it, because we're _partners_ in this crazy life you lead. You are _not_ in this alone anymore." Edward's eyes were shining and I noticed that he was leaning even closer to me. I cleared my throat in an attempt to suppress the sobs that were struggling to escape. I was determined that I would not make Edward suffer through my tears during his moment of need.

"You don't have to worry about Abby, or about Edward and who he is, or Velvet and who he is. You don't have to worry about anything else by yourself anymore, because you have me here to help you worry about all those things." I chose my words carefully, trying to make sure that I wasn't too harsh, but that I made my point clear. I wasn't letting him take on the entire world alone any longer. It was high time that Edward had someone who cared enough about him to take the world on _with_ him. I pulled myself together for one last, brief statement, hoping that he would take everything I had said to heart.

"I want you to know that there's nothing in the world that's bigger than the two of us together, Edward. I love you, so much." I fell silent and realized that my insides were trembling almost as much as the rest of me was. I stroked his face and squeezed his hand and he closed his eyes for just the briefest moment before his arms reached for me.

Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me and held me as if there would be no tomorrow and had never been a yesterday. "Bella, I love you…so very much," he said in a strangled voice. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I'm not ever letting you go, and I'll try to be better, but promise me you'll keep to your word and call me on it if I screw up."

I smiled into Edward's strong chest, squeezed him tight and said, "I'll do you one better. I'll promise to call you on it if you ever screw up, if you'll promise to call me on it when I screw up, because that's what partners do." For the first time in the last half hour, I felt as though we were back to functioning as one heart, one soul, one being standing at the front of the stage, looking out at our future together.

After we had both calmed down, and engaged in a few very needy kisses, we let Abby in and I put SpongeBob on for her. She and I sang, loudly and off-key, on purpose, just to see Edward crack a smile. "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Once he started grinning, there was no stopping him.

We turned SpongeBob off and sang silly songs to Abby, teaching her songs like "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt," and "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" Edward and I even did a rapper's rendition of "There's A Hole in my Bucket" for her. Abby clapped and laughed as though she didn't have a care in the world.

We arrived back in Chicago and when the limo picked us up, Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie piled out of the back. I was so happy to have our friends there, and Rose and Emmett were pretty pleased to see each other as well. I wasn't sure that they weren't going to strip and fuck right there in the back of the car with the rest of us watching. I finally had to point out Abby's presence and asked that they keep things "G-rated" for the rest of the trip to the house, to which Emmett replied, "But… she's got parents here, so can't we at least do PG?" The entire car erupted into laughter.

That night, some pretty big surprises were revealed. Rosalie announced that she was buying a dealership in the Chicago area and that she was house hunting.

Apparently, she was letting her second in command at the Seattle dealership take over managing it and was buying a struggling dealership in the Chicago area in hopes of turning it around. I was floored, but that wasn't all.

Alice was bouncing up and down the whole time Rosalie told us her news until Rosalie finally rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, ADHD child, tell them your news now!"

Alice was obviously too excited to remain seated, so she jumped up and started walking around, talking animatedly with her arms flailing about. It was really hysterical and Edward jabbed me in the ribs with his elbow for laughing at her, but when I looked over at him, he was obviously amused as well.

Alice's big news was that she and Jasper had also put their house on the market and were moving to Chicago.

Jasper could easily move his law practice anywhere, as his clientele were not just people off the street, and of course Alice's wedding and party planning could be done from anywhere, as well. They both travelled a lot when they were working on a big project anyway, so it was easy for them to move. I was so excited that I almost erupted into Alice's 'pixie on speed' behavior.

There was a lot of congratulating of each other and shaking hands and hugging that followed that conversation. It was awesome. We were like a big family, brothers and sisters, declaring to stay together. I was so happy it almost brought me to tears. Edward vowed to all of them that he would assist them in any way he could to make their moves as easy as possible. He also offered Emmett a full time gig as one of our personal bodyguards, which Emmett readily accepted.

Once the excitement had died down, Edward announced that he had a surprise for me as well, and disappeared upstairs. I couldn't imagine what the surprise could be because he barely had time to eat and sleep, let alone plan surprises. Alice and Rosalie speculated as to what it might be, but nobody had a clue.

When Edward reappeared, he had a box in his hand that I recognized immediately. It was from his jeweler. I gulped, wondering what could be inside. It was a pretty big box. He walked over and kissed me on the forehead before handing it to me and said, "This is just a little something for you, baby. I love you."

Emmett was the first to interrupt our quiet moment by yelling, "Well? Are you gonna open the fuckin' thing or sit there and look at it, Bells?"

I rolled my eyes at him while Rosalie smacked him on the arm, telling him to shut the fuck up. I giggled and flipped the box open… and gasped. Lying inside the box was the biggest sapphire I had ever seen. It was pear shaped and surrounded by diamonds on a platinum chain. It was obviously meant to go with my bracelet and ring, but the stones were so big, I was terrified to even touch it.

"Oh my God, Edward," I whispered. "This is just… too much." I touched the cold sapphire lightly with my fingertips and marveled at how it and the diamonds sparkled in the light. I just couldn't get over how big the stones were, or how beautiful the necklace was. And I wondered how Edward had managed to find the time to get it for me without my knowledge. We spent so much time together, that it amazed me that he would have taken a moment to make the necessary phone calls to have this piece made.

Edward grinned and snatched the necklace out of the box. Rosalie and Alice both gasped when he put it around my neck and fastened it. It felt heavy lying against my chest and I stood, smiling at Edward, and walked over to the mirror near the front door to look at it. Edward moved in behind me and whispered in my ear, "I'd like to say that I got it for you just because I love you so much, but in reality, I'd like you to wear it when we go to the MTV Video Music Awards in September."

I couldn't think. Hell, I couldn't breathe. I felt like I was going to pass out. Being around Edward and the guys was one thing. They all felt like family to me, but I had never considered that I would be attending things like the MTV Awards, or the Grammy Awards. Everything had happened so fast that I hadn't even had time to consider everything that Edward's life entailed. I silently thanked God that Alice and Rosalie were going to be around to help me prepare and dress for events such as those.

I stared at the woman in the mirror, who was so far removed from the woman who had left Seattle just a few short weeks before. I turned to Edward and put my arms around him. He was spoiling me with such lavish gifts, but I knew that it was just his way of showing me that I was always on his mind. He and I both knew that I didn't need the gifts to know that he loved me, but he enjoyed giving them. In that moment, it felt as though the puzzle pieces of our life were finally starting to fall in place and that we understood and accepted each other for who we were. My contentment soared as I stood inside the embrace of Edward's arms.

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_**End Note: ***waves* Ohai new readers! Thanks for climbing on board the Vixens tour bus by leaving your lovely reviews! Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando were A.W.E.S.O.M.E! Next we're rockin' Miami, Atlanta, and Charlotte! Where're my southern Vixens?_

_MANY thanks to squallogal for pimping the shit out of me on Twitter and sending all her Aussie friends over to read this story! Can't wait until the Vixen's tour bus picks up the tour in Aus!_

_I've added the following cities to the tour per request of some of you Vixens out there: Albany, NY; Indianapolis, IN; Leeds, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Cologne, Germany; Melbourne, Australia; Queenstown, New Zealand; and Hong Kong. Anyone else?_

_I've changed my user name on Twitter to changedbyEdward. If you were following me as JuJuRN40, you still are, but if you haven't followed me yet, and want to, please look for me at changedbyEdward on twitter (DOT) com. _

_Please review to put fuel in the bus and get us our personalized Vixens jet airplane so we can follow Velvet on tour! Many thanks to LolaRose who provides us with all the fuckhot entertainment aboard the bus so we don't get bored. :)_


	31. Adjustments

_**A/N:** Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight. I own EC Velvet and all that "owning" him implies. *wink*_

_Lillie... Thanks, darlin'. You always know how to make everything better. Love ya._

* * *

_**Edward**_

If I live a thousand years, I'll never know what I did right in my life to deserve the love of Isabella Marie Cullen. She is the half that makes me whole. She has been since the first letter I got from her, the first time I heard her voice, the first time I heard her laugh… the first time I laid eyes on her.

I held her hand and carried Abby in my other arm as we walked in to the hall where Tanya's wake was to be held. She squeezed my hand tightly and I knew that it was meant to remind me that she was there with me, and for me.

Abby pretty much clung to either Bella or me throughout the whole event. I tried to get her to go to her grandparents, but she would never get very far away from us. She kept coming back to where we were to make sure we were still there, I guess. Abby had been damaged by Tanya's bullshit, and it pissed me off that she didn't feel safe being with Tanya's parents or sisters. A four year old shouldn't have to worry about her own safety with her grandparents and aunts.

Surprisingly, the evening went well. There were no angry confrontations and no animosity towards me or Bella. I was pleasantly surprised by that. I had feared there would be an ugly scene, but had hoped for the best. It seemed Tanya's family could have some manners when it was absolutely necessary.

When we left to drive home, some paparazzi were lurking around and I caught one dude getting a little too close for comfort to get a picture of Abby, Bella, and me. I didn't even have to glance at Emmett. He was in his face before I could say a word. The guy was dressed in baggy sweats and a hoodie with the hood up, trying to look all inconspicuous and shit. Not that it worked. Emmett stood in front of him with his arms crossed, towering over the asshole, glaring at him.

"This is a private family thing, guy. Get the fuck out of here and put the fucking camera away," Emmett growled.

The dude looked pretty sheepish as he slunk away, but I knew he had gotten some pictures. It didn't matter too much about the pictures; I just didn't like them getting so close to Abigail. She had to deal with enough shit without those fucksticks being all up in her shit when she was only four.

Everyone always says that after funerals everybody goes home and fucks. After Tanya's wake, I could see why. I was a horny motherfucker on our way back to the house. I drove my Escalade as though I was trying to win the Indy 500 just trying to get home. Bella only gave me two dirty looks and that was when I was slipstreaming through traffic trying to get ahead. Emmett asked once if he could drive. I glanced in my rear view mirror to see if Abby was asleep and seeing that she was, told Emmett to fuck off.

We arrived back at the house, got Abby settled in, and retired to our bedroom, where I could hardly wait to get my hands on Bella. I assaulted her as soon as the door closed, peppering kisses all over her neck and shoulders as I unzipped her dress and let it cascade to the floor in a pool of black fabric.

Bella leaned into me and hummed her appreciation of my attention while I unfastened her bra and pushed the straps down her arms, taking care to kiss, lick, and taste every inch of bared skin. I inhaled the beautiful scent of Bella and nuzzled my nose into her hairline just behind her ear. Her long tresses of mahogany hair were piled on the back of her head in a loose French twist with tendrils hanging in all the right places, making her neck look long and luscious. I ran my tongue from the base of her ear, along her neck to the hollow below, then back up, while Bella shuddered in my arms.

I stepped in close behind her and pulled her body flush with mine, letting her feel my arousal pressed into her lower back. My suit pants and boxers gave me a freedom that the jeans I usually wore didn't, so I teased her by rubbing my cock against her backside. She pushed her ass into me and moaned in a throaty voice as she threw her head back against my shoulder.

Jiminy fuckin' Cricket, she was hot. I slid my hands around her waist and splayed them across her ribs as I made my way up to cup her luscious tits. Bella turned in my arms and kissed me with her mouth open, nibbling on my lips and running her tongue across them.

As I leaned over to kiss her, I pushed her boy shorts over her thighs and she wiggled her hips to get them down and kick them off. Bella smiled into my mouth as she began to return the favor by undressing me, albeit more quickly than I undressed her. By the time she had slid my suit pants and boxers down, my hand had found its way to the damp apex of her legs, and my fingers were busily exploring her soft folds. My right hand slid down behind her knee and hitched her leg up around my waist. I slid my other arm around her and picked her up off the floor before walking us over to the bed.

My heart told me to make love to my Bella, but my body wanted something different. I landed on her frantically, trying to kiss her and touch her and love her… and fuck her… all at the same time. Fortunately, Bella sensed my need and didn't try to slow me down. She met every one of my body's demands and threw out some of her own.

I entered her in one hard thrust that put me right square into heaven. Her wet warmth surrounded me and I groaned my appreciation. I looked down into her sultry face and she smiled at me before saying, "Harder, Edward. I need you."

A shudder tore through me and I lifted her legs, resting her ankles on my shoulders as I slammed into her over and over, losing myself in her wetness, her warmth, her body, and her beauty. She threw her arms over her head and a low moan issued forth from her chest. It was nearly my undoing.

My eyes locked on hers as I continued to pound her with long, fast, hard strokes. Her hips were rising and falling, meeting my thrusts, and although her head was rolling back and forth on the pillow, her eyes stayed on mine.

"Fuck, Edward… I'm almost there…" she panted.

Another shudder ripped through my body as I shifted my arms so that I could reach between us and rub my thumb across her clit. Her entire body jerked and her fists clenched the pillow. I felt her legs pushing against me and her body pulsed around me, eliciting the beginning of my own climax.

We came together, staring into each other's eyes, both of us crying out the other's name. It was the most erotic moment I've ever had. As my orgasm came to an end, I closed my eyes and concentrated on feeling Bella. I released her legs and pulled her into my arms, pressing our bodies together, feeling our sweat mingle, inhaling her scent.

Whispered 'I love you's' permeated the air around us and I felt so connected to her that it felt as though we were one body, one soul, two hearts beating as one.

As the rush of adrenaline faded away, we slowly found our way under the covers, wrapping ourselves around each other and drifting off into a restful sleep. It was, in fact, the most restful sleep I had in a while. I wish I could have said the same for Bella, who rested for several hours, but then began to have nightmares and was restless and mumbling.

I tried to wake her a couple of times, but as soon as I started to talk to her, she would sigh and say, "Oh, Edward…" and relax. I spent our last hour in bed just watching her sleep and pushing her hair off her face so that I could see it in all of its angelic glory.

That morning, we got up and went to Tanya's funeral. It was a bit of a media clusterfuck just because of all of the hype surrounding her death and because I was there. Bella stayed glued to my side as I gave my condolences to Tanya's family before we left. I didn't want to go to the graveside service and invite the media and paparazzi to follow, so we climbed into the Ferrari and headed home as soon as the service was over and I had spoken to every member of Tanya's family.

By the time we arrived back at the house, it was time to get crackin' and get on our way to the airport so we could fly back to Miami. Bella was making all sorts of arrangements with Alice to have her belongings moved to the house from Seattle. I made sure that Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie understood that they could stay at my house and use it as their base of operations while they were house hunting, and even went so far as to call my real estate agent to get them hooked up. There were a couple of places in the neighborhood that were nearby that they had appointments to go look at before we left. For a while, I considered just building another couple of wings onto my house for them, but knew that they were all independent people and would want houses of their own, no matter how much time we all would spend together.

It wasn't like it would be unusual to have my friends close to me. Four of the five guys in my crew lived within a couple of miles of me. It made things easier when we were working together to be close.

I started writing another new song on our way to Miami and found that my songs were becoming increasingly sappy and full of love and happiness rather than heartache and misery. I wasn't exactly sure if that was a good thing or not. While it was great that I was in that place mentally, I wasn't sure that my record sales would reflect my fans being particularly appreciative of my complete 180 in songwriting. That was when I found myself writing a song about the death of EC Velvet. I was so absorbed in it, that I barely registered when the plane landed.

Abby was pulling at my shirt and asking if we could go to the beach as soon as the door to the plane opened. I looked at the time and worried that it wasn't going to be possible, but Rhianne came to the rescue and made all the arrangements for us to take Abby to the beach on the way to the venue for the concert. Fortunately, Abby had a bathing suit in her suitcase, thanks to Mary, and Bella changed her into it in the car.

I put on a cap, hoping that my presence wouldn't be too obvious on Miami Beach. Bella pulled her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck and put a baseball cap on as well. She looked so fucking cute.

Fortunately, only a couple of people approached us and we were able to have a fairly quiet time with Abby, letting her play in the grayish-white sand and turquoise water. She had fun picking up shells on the beach and digging holes in the sand.

We spent about an hour there before we had to leave to get ready for the show. Abby didn't want to go, but she did without throwing a fit thanks to Bella's abilities to make her feel better about everything.

I was glad to get back together with the guys and pleased that Bella seemed to be so much more relaxed around the venues and with my crew. She had pretty well taken over Rhianne's job of getting me to the stage on time, and was always quick with a kiss before I went on. It was comforting to me to be able to glance off to the side of the stage and see her there, always waiting for me with a smile.

We fell into somewhat of a routine going from city to city. The days seemed to blur together, one after the other. Nights changed to days without my ever noticing. Bella, Abby and I were together constantly when I wasn't rehearsing or on stage. They attended public appearances with me, they went to interviews with me, they went where I went.

We left Miami for Atlanta, GA; then Charlotte, NC; Raleigh/Durham, NC; Washington DC; Baltimore, Maryland; Albany, NY; Boston, MA; Indianapolis, IN; Cleveland, OH… and then it was time to head for Canada.

The days were quickly melding into weeks and Bella submitted her resignation to the University of Washington. Alice and Jasper bought an estate right behind ours and moved, bringing all of Bella's belongings from Washington with them and having them moved into our house. Rosalie, too, bought an estate nearby and completed her move, starting work at her new dealership. Emmett continued to travel with us as our personal bodyguard and had become one of Abby's favorite playmates.

I noticed that over the days and weeks that my Bella was having to take her sleeping pills far more frequently to sleep at night, but I didn't put too much thought or concern into it until we were about to leave for Canada and she flipped out because she was out of them.

It wasn't a big deal; I just called Carlisle and he took care of it, but I was concerned that she was so freaked out about it. I tried to have a conversation with her about the dangers of becoming addicted to those kinds of things when a person was on tour, but she rejected my concerns, stating that once we were on a regular schedule again, she wouldn't have so much difficulty sleeping at the right times.

I've reflected on that conversation quite a bit over the years, and found that I was nothing more than a big pussy who was pussy whipped. I should have pushed harder. I should have intervened right then, no matter what the cost, but I didn't, and it caused some trouble in the long run. Not trouble like 'Tanya' trouble, but trouble nonetheless.

The problem with Bella's rationale was that I never lived on a regular schedule. She just didn't realize that yet. Being on tour was one thing, but when I was at home, I was always running around to appearances or working in the studio, and working in the studio was something that you had to see to believe. What's more, I was anxious to get back into the studio when we got home. My new studio would be finished and I had been writing like crazy.

I went ahead and trusted her to know what she was doing and we took off for Canada. Montreal was our first stop, followed by Toronto, Quebec City, Calgary, and Vancouver.

After that, we had a two week long break before our tour took up its overseas portion and we headed for Ireland. We were all exhausted and headed home for Chicago to rest up while waiting for the stage equipment to be transported overseas.

The good thing about the international portion was that it took a little bit longer to move everything from city to city. The bad thing was that the tour itself took longer.

Once we were back in Chicago, Bella and I spent the first three days in bed. We would wake up long enough to make love, or take a shower, or eat a meal, and then we would be back in bed fast asleep. Abby bounced back much quicker than we did and she spent some time with my parents while we were trying to catch up.

The other thing we had to do while we were in Chicago was to prepare to go to the VMAs in New York City over the weekend before we flew out to Ireland. I had decided to forego the traditional tuxedo for such events. After all, I was a rap star, and we were expected to be controversial. On the other hand, I wanted Bella to look her best. It was going to be an exciting time for her and she was going to be rubbing elbows with some of the biggest music stars in the world, besides me. I knew she was nervous about it, but I had put Alice and Rosalie on the case weeks beforehand, making sure that she had appropriate help getting the perfect outfit. They hadn't disappointed and on Wednesday morning, Bella had a fitting scheduled with Alice and Rosalie in tow. I left them to it while I took care of some business of my own.

Rhianne met with me and told me that she thought it was time for Bella to have her own assistant. She was having trouble keeping up with both of us and she was starting to get requests for Bella to make her own personal appearances. We had all known that was coming, but I wasn't ready for it already.

"Can't we just tell them no?" I asked Rhianne, trying to find a way of getting out of sharing my wife.

"You and I both know that wouldn't be good for business, Edward." Rhianne was always the voice of reason and knew exactly what was good for me. I didn't know what I would ever do if she left us. I'd be lost without her.

I sat in the chair behind my desk and leaned back, placing my fingers on the bridge of my nose. "Is she ready for this?"

"You would know that better than I would," Rhianne answered softly.

I looked up at her and realized that she was trying to get me to admit that Bella was stronger and more prepared than I wanted to give her credit for. I wanted to keep Bella weak and naïve so that I could protect her from everything all the time, but I knew damn well that wasn't the case. This was something that I needed to let happen. I needed to give her the credit for being the strong woman that I had married and let her do what was required of the wife of a superstar. It was one thing that Tanya had never been interested in and I was intrigued by the idea of watching Bella being interviewed on television without me overshadowing her. Hell, Bella would be a superstar in her own right, simply by being my wife. Why shouldn't I let her do what she needed to do?

I finally agreed that Rhianne should start the search for a suitable assistant for Bella. Rhianne stared at me for a minute and said, "I assumed you would know that there is already someone I have in mind who would be perfect."

I racked my brain trying to imagine who she meant, and then it dawned on me. Alice. Of course. Alice would be a perfect assistant for Bella. Hell, she already was, to a certain extent. "Will Alice be able to continue her job as a wedding planner?"

"I think we should leave that up to Alice," Rhianne answered while pecking away at the keyboard of her laptop.

Bella returned from her fitting and she was positively glowing. She walked into the office just as Rhianne and I were about to embark on our monthly business meeting. She stopped when she saw the stack of papers on my desk.

"Oops! I'm sorry, I can come back later," she stammered. She turned and started to walk out and was almost there before I could stop her. I turned her around and kissed her.

"You're radiant. Did you have a good time?" Bella blushed furiously and I knew from the extent of the blush that it surely had covered her body and not just her cheeks. I threaded a hand into her hair, pulling her to me so I could kiss her again.

"I had a great time, Edward, but I can see that you're busy so I'll talk to you when you get done. I don't want to interrupt." Silly Bella.

"You're not interrupting, baby. Actually, come on in and sit down. We're just about to have our business meeting and this one is actually kind of important to me and I'd like you to be here."

Bella smiled and took the chair next to Rhianne. We talked to her briefly about our plan to ask Alice to be her personal assistant. I think she may have actually squealed. We discussed that briefly and then moved on into the business meeting.

I noticed that Bella was incredibly uncomfortable during our discussion of assets and liabilities. I finally asked her if she thought it wasn't her business or what and she told me that no, she didn't think it was her business.

"Bella, Jesus Christ! You're my wife! What's mine is yours. It absolutely _is _your business!" She squirmed in her seat and tried to 'look' more comfortable, but I knew better.

"I'm sorry, baby, I know you're uncomfortable, but truthfully, you need to know this stuff. If something were to happen to me…"

"EDWARD!" she roared, effectively cutting me off. The look of panic on her face was undeniable. "NEVER say anything like that EVER! PLEASE!"

I rounded my desk and leaned over to hug her and pull her out of the chair. I lifted her easily and went back to my chair, placing her on my lap. I brushed her hair back behind her ear and kissed her. "I'm sorry, babe. It's just that… this thing with Tanya has me thinking that I need to make some new arrangements just in case something ever did happen. You're my wife now, and I need to make sure you are taken care of if, God forbid, something _did_ happen. Not saying it's going to, because I'm too fucking tough to let anything, but you never know." Bella put her arms around me and laid her head against my shoulder, taking deep breaths. I knew she was trying not to cry. I patted her and squeezed her tight. "Come on, we don't have to think about it today, okay?"

She smiled and let out a breath that she had been holding since I had started speaking again. "Okay, Edward. I love you."

"Love you, too, baby. Okay, Rhianne, what's next?"

Rhianne pointed at the stack of papers she had placed in front of me. "Those are the papers you'll need to sign to be released from your contract with the label at the end of your tour. In addition, the papers you need to start your own label and form a corporation for that label are there, as well as the contracts for the new studio, production contracts for you and the group, and some personnel contracts that will need to be revised when all of this takes place."

Fucking Rhianne. What would I have ever done without her? She was absolutely the best at what she did and had it not been for her, I would have been completely lost. I started signing the papers, and there were a shit-load of papers to sign. Bella tried to get off my lap, but I just pulled her close and kept signing page after fucking page. I got really sick and fucking tired of signing my name next to all the little tape tabs that said, "Sign Here," and then pulling the little fuckers off.

When I got writer's cramp and Rhianne told me I was done, all I could say was, "Thank God. What a bunch of shit! Can't you just use my signature stamp next time?"

Rhianne laughed because she knew I was full of shit and knew that wasn't possible. She gathered up all the papers and told me she was finished with me, so I turned my attention back to Bella.

"So, how did the fitting go?" Bella squealed and it made me laugh. God, she was so much fun!

"Did you _know_ what they had arranged for me?" she asked with a giggle. I shook my head 'no' slowly because I really _didn't_ know what they had arranged. I had just left Alice and Rosalie to it as I knew they would know what to do.

"The actual _designer_ met us at your apartment downtown and fitted the dress, Edward! I nearly fell over dead! It was so… weird!" Her eyes were sparkling with happiness and she was bouncing all over my lap, which wasn't really helping me to remain in a platonic conversation with her. I teased one breast with my finger while cocking my head to the side, smirking, and asking her why it was weird.

Bella laughed and grabbed my hand, effectively stopping me from teasing her nipple any further. "I've never _met_ a famous designer, Edward!" I wrenched my hand free and went back to her other nipple.

I put a very serious look on my face and asked, "So, what designer was it?"

"Edward!" she squealed while jumping off my lap. She started around the side of my desk, but I don't know why she was trying to get away. I just stood and followed her, capturing her in a couple of steps and pinning her to my desk with my hips. I ground myself against her, trying to distract her, but damned if she didn't just start ignoring me.

"It was Elie Saab, and she put me in the most awesome black dress! And I can't wait for you to see the fuck hot Jimmy Choo's that Rosalie picked out to go with it! I'm so excited, Edward! I'm nervous, but excited. I don't want to make an ass of myself!"

I shut her babbling up by placing my lips on hers and plunging my tongue directly into her mouth. When I let her up for air I mused, "You definitely won't make an ass of yourself, baby, but you looking all hot and sexy is going to make an ass of me because I won't be able to keep my fucking hands off you."

* * *

_**End Note: **RL is desperately trying to take me out and I had to write this chapter in 10 minute increments over the past month. Thanks for your patience in waiting for it. I'll post a link on my profile in the next day or two so that everyone can see Bella's dress and shoes that were picked out for her. Many many thanks to Lead69, LolaRose, and Eyes of Topaz for their assistance in dressing Bella for the VMAs because I am a fashion disabled person. :)_

_I think we've accomplished our own jet for the Vixens so review and fuel the jet ladies! HOLLA! We're gonna be overseas soon! *squee!*_


	32. Paroxysm

_**A/N: **My lovely Lillie...Thank you SO much for helping me to make this chapter, and every chapter I write, so pretty. More than Heathcliffe, darlin'! Eyes of Topaz, thank YOU for helping me brainstorm the idea for this chapter in the first place, and for pre-beta'ing so that Lillie's job was so much easier._

_**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight... blah fucking blah blah blah. As for any "real" people that might appear in this chapter... I do not wish to cast them in a negative light. I've only used their names and public images with the deepest of love and admiration for those that I used._

* * *

_**Bella**_

_Thank fricken God for Alice, Rosalie, and Rhianne._

That's all I could think the day of the VMAs. I was a nervous fucking wreck and had it not been for the three of them, I would have just said 'fuck it' and not gone.

Besides the fact that Edward was just pretty much missing that day because he had appearances and interviews to do, I had no fucking idea what I was doing. The entire day was spent getting facials, manicures, pedicures, hair… holy fuck. I had professional hair stylists and makeup artists working on me for hours.

I was nervous as fuck and fidgeting when the stylist was working on my hair, so Alice started digging in my purse. When I asked her what she was doing, she just told me to shut the hell up and whispered something to Rosalie, who appeared a moment later with a glass of champagne in her hand.

Alice glared at her and she shrugged. "It was the closest thing I could find. All you said was 'a drink.' You didn't specify _what_."

Alice walked over to me and told me to open my mouth. She stuck her finger in my mouth and I tasted the sweet Ativan tablet as she placed it on my tongue. It started melting immediately, and I almost instantly began to calm down. I chugged down the glass of champagne and relaxed in the chair while the dude finished my hair.

When I looked in the mirror, I was stunned at how great my hair actually looked. Rosalie had instructed Marcus to leave it down. He had argued, greatly exaggerating with his arms about how he wanted to put my hair up and shit, but Rosalie turned on the bitch with him and _insisted_ he leave it down. All I wanted was to get it done and for everyone to shut the fuck up. Sometimes it was like I wasn't even there with Rose and Alice directing everything. Rhianne kept checking in with me, but she was also making sure Edward was everywhere he was supposed to be.

I was so damn tired by the time we were supposed to leave that I just wanted to stay at the hotel and watch the show on TV, but Edward finally arrived to get dressed and that made things all better.

I was still walking around the hotel suite in a silk robe, not having put my dress and shoes on yet. Edward looked fan-fucking-tastic, as per usual. His time to get ready to go? Thirty-six fucking minutes. Shower, run fingers through sex-hair with some gel, leave two day old stubble on face, throw on a pair of Levi's, pull on a t-shirt, put on custom made Adidas', pull a hoodie on. Sometimes being a girl sucks ass.

We were finally ready to go and Alice took about a thousand fucking pictures. My cheeks were sick of smiling already and the evening had barely begun. Edward, Emmett, Rhianne and I headed down to the car where I fidgeted around nervously. Edward tried to continually reassure me that everything was going to be fine, but I wasn't buying it. I had a feeling in the pit of my gut that something was amiss. I felt like fucking Alice, who was always having "feelings" about stuff.

I really felt badly that Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper weren't going to be sitting with the rest of us, but between the four of us, Curtis, John, Brad, Ray, Chris, and Paul, we were pretty well taking up all of the seats that were available to the label. Alice, Rose, and Jas had assured me they were okay with it, but I wasn't sure that _I _was okay with it.

Edward was nominated for five VMAs which made me proud, excited, and nervous all at the same time. I mean, what if he made me go on stage with him when he won? More than that, though, he was performing, and I didn't even want to think about the red carpet. And fuck if we weren't arriving already.

The sheer size of the crowd gathered around the red carpet was intimidating. I had seen crowds at Edward's shows and seen crowds lined up to catch a glimpse of him coming or going at the venues, but this was something completely different.

As we pulled into the limo queue, I looked at both sides of the street at the barricades where throngs of people stood. There were many police officers milling around and keeping the crowds under control, but it looked like loose control to me. I finally understood why Edward flat refused to take Abby to such an event. It was terrifying for me and I was almost 25!

We slowly moved closer to the drop off point, and I started seeing other stars and musicians getting out of their cars. This was the moment when it all suddenly became real for me. I was going in there, with all of those famous people, and hoping that they would accept me as an equal. Not that I thought they should accept me as a rock star, but as a rock star's wife, and not just some plain-Jane brunette from the Pacific Northwest.

Edward reached for my hand and whispered, "You're gonna be fine, baby. This is supposed to be fun, remember?"

I nodded silently, trying hard to squash the desire to chew on my freshly done nails, or just jump out of the car and run like hell.

The crowds were screaming when we pulled up to the drop off point and I could actually feel my entire body shaking. When the limo door opened, I suppressed the urge to throw up, pass out, anything that would get me out of being the center of attention, because I had been warned. I would be.

Emmett got out first, his curly blonde hair gleaming in the late afternoon light. He leaned in and grinned at us.

"Showtime, guys. Let's do this!"

Thank God Emmett's smile was infectious and so was his attitude. Edward put my hand in Emmett's and urged me to step out of the car. I took a deep breath and as soon as my leg exited the car, a roar went up from the crowds surrounding us. I silently thanked God, Allah, Buddha, and whoever else might be listening, for the barriers and the cops. I put a smile on my face and emerged from the limo, thanking Emmett for helping me.

Rhianne climbed out next with a radiant smile on her face. She stood next to me where I was just outside the car door. I tried to ignore all the screaming and what people were saying. I just kept smiling and glancing between the car door and the long expanse of red carpet in front of me that was littered with photographers, correspondents, and celebrities with microphones.

Edward was the last to exit the car and it seemed like an eternity before I finally saw one long jeans-clad leg make its way out of the portal.

He came out with a smile plastered on his face, waving at the screaming fans, and grabbing my hand to lead me down the red carpet.

With every step I took, all I could think was, _"Please don't let me fall… please don't let me fall… please don't let me fall…"_

We approached the area where all the photographers and correspondents were and I slowed my pace, almost slipping in behind Edward, but he slid his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him, plunging his other hand into his jeans pocket. He looked so relaxed that it relaxed me somewhat, right up until the first microphone was shoved in my face. No, not his, mine.

"How is your first red carpet walk going for you, Bella?" one of the MTV correspondents asked me.

The only way I was able to even remotely choke out an answer was to concentrate on the feel of Edward's arm around my waist, the feel of his body pressed up next to mine, and the smile on my face. I nodded.

"It's a lot of fun!" I exclaimed with more enthusiasm than I really felt. I felt Edward's arm tighten and release so I concentrated on not locking my knees and passing out.

"I understand your gown is an Elie Saab original; can you give us a 360 of your dress?"

"Um, sure!" I giggled, sure that I sounded like a squee'ing fangirl rather than the wife of a superstar rapper.

Edward took my hand and spun me around in a slow circle so I could show the camera my dress. The noise surrounding us was deafening. Radio City Music Hall was lit up in front of us and I could see multiple musicians, singers, and actors all over the place, all of whom I never thought I would ever be rubbing elbows with.

Once that interview was over and the correspondent had asked Edward a couple of questions, we moved on down the red carpet. I finally realized why we had to leave so long before the show. Walking the red carpet was more of a snail's pace than anything, stopping to talk to all the reporters, posing for pictures, meeting other celebrities… it was fucking insane.

The crowd inside the barricades got thicker and thicker as we approached the entrance to Radio City. I nearly stroked out when Edward introduced me to Elton John, Stevie Nicks, Rhianna, Beyonce… it was unreal. We were right next to the doors that would lead us inside when Edward stepped over to the crowd and signed a couple of autographs for a couple of crying teenage girls who were begging him for an autograph. He kissed them both on the forehead and beamed at me as he took my hand and lead me inside.

The lobby of the Music Hall was no different than outside, but I felt my fear falling away as we left the noise of the big crowd of fans gathered there behind. Now, rather than screaming fans, there was loud music, lots of celebs, lots of reporters, and people in usher outfits leading people to their seats.

We stood in a short queue waiting to be seated and while we did so, Edward whispered in my ear, "You're doing great, just like I thought you would, baby. I'm so proud of you." He kissed me on the cheek and I felt the blush rising as it spread from my chest onto my neck and face. I rolled my eyes at myself. How silly was it that I survived about 30 interviews on the way to the line we were currently in, didn't blush a bit, but when my sexy husband whispers in my ear that he's proud of me, I full on blush from head to toe?

The usher directed us into the hall and down the long aisle to the second row in the middle. I had no idea how the seating arrangements were made, but those were good fucking seats.

As we all decided what order we would sit in, I noticed that Edward looked slightly uncomfortable and gave Rhianne an odd look, to which she just shrugged and took her seat. I ended up between Emmett, who sat on the aisle, and Edward. At some point, the rest of the guys had caught up with us and they sat further on down the row with Paul and Rhianne on their right.

I glanced around, trying not to gawk, at the rock & roll, hip-hop, country, and Hollywood royalty that surrounded us. I barely even noticed when the shock of blonde hair in front of us turned around and stared briefly first at me, and then Edward. It was her voice that caught my attention. It was Pink. I tried to smile my best non-stalker smile as she addressed Edward.

"How ya doin,' EC?"

Edward shifted in his seat and squeezed my hand before nodding and saying, "Alecia."

She smirked at him and turned around, whispering something in the ear of the person sitting next to her. I couldn't put my finger on what that whole exchange had been about, but it was soon forgotten as I watched the theatre fill up with hundreds of celebs.

All of the kings of the hip-hop world were there and it was interesting to me to watch as they all filtered in with their various gangs. Edward's posse was nothing compared to some of them. I snickered when Snoop Dogg appeared in a purple velvet suit with a big hat and had seven bodyguards. I mean, really, if you can't be safe at a function with your peers, where _can_ you be safe?

By the time the televised portion of the awards show started, I was finally relaxing. Several people, actors and singers alike, had stopped to say hello. They had all been very welcoming to me and made me feel as though I belonged there, which really helped with my nerves.

The lights went down and the music started. It really was amazing. All of those performers all together in one place and all cheering each other on was just awe inspiring.

Before I knew it, the first award that Edward was nominated for came up and I found myself with a knot in the middle of my stomach. He won it, and the knot tightened. While I was thrilled he had won Best Male Video, I nearly threw up at the prospect of going on stage with him as he grabbed my hand and pulled me along. Just as we were stepping onto the stage, I found my strength, put a smile on my face, and blended into the background, letting the rest of the guys surround me as Edward gave his thank you speech.

"I know I'm not supposed to bring my wife on stage with me, but I can't stand to be away from her that long." I blushed furiously and tried to disappear further. I couldn't believe that not only did Edward bring me on stage with him, he freaking pointed it out.

"So, I wanna thank all the fans, because without you guys, this shit just wouldn't be happening. I've got a hell of a lot of fucking people to thank, but in order to save on time, I've gotta thank Bella and Abby, God, the fans, my producers, directors, the label, and all these guys right here for always having my fucking back."

I nearly burst into laughter at Edward swearing like a sailor up there. It was apparently because of him that they had to broadcast with a 90 second delay, because I was just sure that they bleeped most of his acceptance speech.

When that was over, we walked backstage and what a zoo that was! I was completely amazed at how quickly everything got done on stage and how organized it seemed compared to the utter chaos that seemed to be taking place in the background.

We were ushered into a room where they were doing interviews with the winners and stood in front of a green screen while Edward and the rest of the guys were interviewed. The interviewer asked me how I felt about Edward's award and all I could choke out was, "I'm just so proud of him."

I was sent with an usher back to my seat while Edward and the guys went to prepare for their performance. When I sat down, Rhianne moved to sit next to me and that made me feel a lot better. I realized that I had never actually watched Edward perform from the audience; I had always been backstage. It excited me to think that I would be able to see what his fans saw.

During the commercial breaks, they gave away other awards and reset the stage for the next performance. Edward's producers won an award for something or other – best art production or something – and then it was time for Edward's performance.

When they introduced him, I started clapping and yelling with the crowd. I was immediately embarrassed as fuck when I realized that one of the TV cameras was pointed at me, but decided, _"What the hell? He's my husband. I'm excited to see him perform!"_

As much as I loved being backstage when Edward was performing, being out in the crowd was just fucking amazing. Of course, the part where he made eye contact with me several times and winked at me a few times helped a lot, but watching him work the crowd from a different perspective was fabulous. It strengthened my resolve that Edward was a fucking genius.

After the performance, Edward came back to sit with me again, and I could have sworn I saw him and Eminem giving each other a glare as Edward walked by. When Edward sat down, I leaned over and whispered to him, "What was that about?" He just shook his head and motioned towards the stage for me to watch what was going on. I made a mental note to ask him about it again later.

Edward's video for "Heartache & Misery" ended up winning four of the five awards it was nominated for, including Video of the Year. I was so proud of him, and so exhausted by the time the show was over. However, the night was far from over. Apparently, it's almost required to go to the after parties. There were two that Edward said we had to make appearances at, anyway.

The first one was fairly quiet and consisted mostly of record execs, producers, and the like. We only stayed there for about half an hour. We walked around the room sipping champagne while Edward introduced me to all of music's most important people. I turned on the charm as best I could and tried not to be nervous.

The next after party was where all the fun was. It was loud and raucous with lots of music, lots of stars, lots of booze, and lots of whatever else anyone could dream up. Fortunately, Edward had gotten Alice, Rose, and Jasper in so I didn't feel so alone, but then again, I was.

Alice was totally working the crowd with Jasper on her arm. She was busy making contacts, passing out her card, and trying to drum up business.

I stood there, martini in hand, and wondered how in the hell she was going to keep up with doing all of the wedding and party planning that she wanted to do as well as keep up with being my personal assistant. I wondered then if Alice was the right choice. While I loved the thought of her taking care of me and all the crap that Rhianne insisted was coming my way, I wasn't sure if she would enjoy it as much working for me rather than just "doing" for me as my friend. I tucked that thought away to contemplate it later.

Rosalie was almost as bad as Alice, charming all the men with her long blonde hair, movie star looks, long legs, and her Ferrari dealership. I found myself alone in the crowd on more than one occasion.

It was at one of these inopportune moments that Eminem decided to sidle up to me and introduce himself. I was incredibly drunk by that time, as was just about everyone else. I also may or may not have taken an extra Ativan… or two… just to try to calm my nerves while I tried to navigate the party alone. Edward was nowhere to be seen, as he had been most of the night. I understood that he was in EC Velvet mode, but was a little unhappy with him for just going off and leaving me to fend for myself.

When Eminem sat down next to me in the oversized chair that I was currently occupying, it didn't strike me as odd or bad or anything else that I was squished into a chair with him. Apparently, my defenses were down enough that it didn't occur to me that I should get the fuck out of there and fast. He was as drunk and fucked up as I was, so our conversation wasn't exactly intelligent at that point.

We talked for a few minutes, but I don't really remember exactly what we were talking about. In fact, I don't remember a whole lot other than him sitting in the chair next to me, talking to me, and Edward suddenly flipping right the fuck out. I remember Edward's words loud and clear.

"Get your mother-fucking hands off my fucking wife!" he roared.

I jumped and started to scramble to get out of the chair, but a strong hand on my shoulder held me down. I was terrified looking at Edward. I had never seen him so angry. If he could have shot daggers from his eyes, he would have.

"I'm just keepin' your wife company while you left her sitting here alone, fuckwit."

_Oh God, did he really just say that?_

"Take your God damned hands off her," Edward seethed in reply. It was then that I realized that the hand on my shoulder keeping me from getting up was Eminem's. I started trying to get out of his grasp while stuttering some sort of explanation to Edward. I was utterly shocked at his response since I hadn't really realized what had been going on.

"I'll deal with you later, _Bella._ I should have known you'd be making out with the first A-list celebrity you could get your fucking hands on the minute I turned my back. Women are all the fucking same."

I started crying immediately. "_Oh fuck, what did I do?"_ was all I could think. Whatever buzz I had, or high I was on, was gone instantly. The activities of the few moments before Edward had started screaming suddenly became crystal clear. Em had been talking to me, nuzzling into my ear so that I could hear him over the din of the crowd and the loud music. It dawned on me what it must have looked like to Edward.

_Fuck… motherfucking fuck! WHY did I get so drunk? WHY did I take the fucking Ativan? FUCK… I've ruined everything!_ My mind was screaming at me while I was still trying to get out of the damned overstuffed chair. Em was still trying to hold me back, but Edward was moving towards me like a cat on the prowl. Of course, by this time, I knew that I wasn't really dealing with Edward, but Velvet, and a very drunk and fucked up Velvet at that. I tried to maintain a calm façade but I was terrified that I had fucked up everything in that brief moment of weakness.

Edward reached out and grabbed my hand, roughly pulling me out of the chair.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

He glared at me and then pulled me around behind him.

"Marshall, keep your fucking hands off my fucking wife from now on. I don't give a fuck how fucked up she is, it doesn't give you the right to…"

"Ya know what, Edward? Maybe you should learn to control yourself at these parties and you wouldn't have to worry about what your wife was doing. At least I can keep Slim under control when I need to. Haven't you learned how to do that yet?"

The two men stood face to face, staring each other down. Em was a few inches shorter than Edward, but looked every bit as tough. I tugged on the back of Edward's shirt, trying to pull him away, but he swatted at my hand. I started to panic, thinking they were going to fight, but before I could say anything, Emmett and Jasper were there and flanked Edward. Of course, Marshall's bodyguards were there instantly as well. Neither man blinked. They just kept staring at each other until Jasper finally stepped between them and pushed them apart.

"Come on, guys, it's a party. Don't ruin everyone else's fun. Let's just move to our opposite corners and ignore each other for the rest of the night, okay?" he said in that stoic manner that only Jasper could.

Edward's shoulders relaxed immediately and so did Marshall's. They stood there for a moment more before bumping fists.

"Sorry, man. I should have just backed the fuck off," Marshall said to Edward as he backed away from him. Edward just nodded and watched him go.

As soon as I could see that they weren't going to fight, I turned tail and started hunting for Alice or Rosalie to take me back to the hotel. I heard Edward calling to me, but I ignored him. I was embarrassed by my behavior, the fact that I was drunk as hell, fucked up on Ativan, and had betrayed my husband with his arch fucking nemesis. I just had to get out of there.

I found Rosalie and told her I wanted to go, so she helped me get my stuff together and we got out of there. We actually took a cab back to the hotel and upon our arrival, I was crying and begged to stay with her. She didn't argue with me, but simply took me to her room, helped me out of my clothes, put me in one of Emmett's t-shirts, and helped me into bed.

I lay there for what felt like hours just sobbing. At one point, I heard a knock at the door and heard Rosalie telling Edward to fuck off. I started to get out of bed, but decided it wasn't the time for me to go try to talk to him. It would only end up in a fight anyway. Rosalie told Edward I was asleep and to leave me alone until morning. I heard Edward say, "Fuck you, Rosalie," before the door slammed shut.

I lay there waffling between being upset at what had happened and being angry with Edward. Why the fuck he had left me alone at that party in the first fucking place was beyond me. Hell, he had even said in his acceptance speech that he couldn't stand to be away from me. That lasted a long time. Fucker went off playing Velvet and left me in the fucking dust at the party without any remorse. And what was that fucking bullshit he said? All women are the fucking same? What was that? Some kind of slam comparing me to fucking Tanya? Oh, HELL no.

But then, I cringed to imagine what he must have thought was going on when he happened upon Eminem and me snuggled together in the chair, Em's face nuzzled into my ear… and felt so fucking guilty I couldn't stand it.

At some point later on in the night, I heard Rosalie and Emmett arguing and I felt even worse. Not only had I caused problems with my husband, I had caused problems with Emmett and Rose, too. I finally deemed myself a worthless piece of shit and drifted off into a fitful sleep of nightmares about what my life was going to be like without Edward and Abby in it.

* * *

_**End Note: **I've wrapped myself in bubble wrap to soften the blows of the shit I know you are all going to throw at me. Please be gentle. At least I didn't make you wait three weeks for this, right? Right?!_

_Vixens to the left to board the jet, haters to the right to walk off a cliff. _

_All my love to all of my readers who faithfully review, favorite, alert, pimp me, and everything else you all do. You're great!_


	33. Exacerbation

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I don't own Twilight. Do I need to remind anyone of that? I also don't own Eminem, but I love him. _

_**A/N: **To all of you who didn't hate me last chapter, thank you. To all of you who were angry with me, sorry. To all of you who are going to hate me this chapter, please remember that the Prologue of this story is the END of the story, so it WILL all work out. If you don't want to deal with the angst, please wait to read this until the next chapter is posted, which will be soon because I AM working on it. I don't want to leave you all here like this. To all of you who respect me as an author to write MY story, thank you for trusting me._

_Lillie... Thanks for not killing me. Love you._

_

* * *

_

_**Edward**_

After Marshall's bullshit, I was really in the mood to kick the ever-livin' fuck out of somebody. That motherfucker had been in my face one too many times and I was sick of his self-righteous shit.

_Fuck the three-one-three. Three-one-two is in the motherfucking house!_

I turned to stalk off, expecting Bella to be right behind me, but she was gone.

_Well, isn't that just fresh and fucking convenient?_ _Typical. Fucks up and runs._ _Goddamned women anyway._

I marched over to the bar and ordered myself up another shot of Patron and another beer. Emmett came over to stand next to me, looking at me expectantly. I downed my shot and started to drain my beer before I got fucking irritated with him staring my ass down. I placed my beer on the bar and faced him.

"What?" I half-shouted at him, because his mere presence was pissing me right the fuck off.

"Dude, don't you think you were a little hard on her?"

"Fuck you, Emmett. I don't have to put up with that kind of bullshit. That's exactly the reason that people like me shouldn't fucking get involved. I'm just a fucking stepping stone for her ass to go find somebody better. Well fuck her and fuck you."

Emmett grabbed my arm, but I knocked his hand away. I was far from in the mood to discuss it with his daffy ass. I grabbed my beer and went out on the balcony to chill out for a while. At least it was fucking quiet out there.

* * *

_**Bella**_

I would have thought that when I woke up I'd be weepy and shit, wanting to run to him and beg his forgiveness, but I wasn't. I was hung over as hell and lividly pissed off.

I looked over at Rosalie, who was dressed in sweatpants and a tank top, lying on top of the bedding next to me sound asleep. I almost woke her up, but decided against it. After all, I was fucking pissed at her, too.

Every one of my so-called motherfucking friends had abandoned me that night to their own ends. Edward was busy socializing, which I could have forgiven if he had even remotely acted like I was alive. Rosalie was busy pursuing her own shit, schmoozing up to the rich and famous, trying to sell fucking cars.

Alice… I couldn't remember ever having been truly angry with Alice, but I was that morning. She, of all people, had left me on my own. She _knew_ how anxious I had been about the whole evening, the after party included. She was also supposed to be trying things out to see if she liked being my assistant and could do both that and her planning business, and she just fucking left me in the dust. None of them gave me a second thought.

When I walked out the bedroom door into the living area of Rose and Emmett's suite, I noticed Emmett sprawled on the sofa-bed in his underwear. I stopped and stared for the briefest moment. I would never have pegged Emmett as a Calvin Klein type of guy, but there he was with Calvin's name all over his waistband. Huh.

I tip-toed over to the phone and ordered up breakfast, complete with a newspaper. Emmett was snoring so fucking loud I had to repeat myself twice to the girl on the other end.

After I ordered breakfast, I made some coffee and grabbed my phone out of my purse that was sitting on the table. No calls. No texts. _Motherfuck. _

I tossed the phone aside and waited for the damn coffee to brew. When it was finally done, I poured myself a cup, doctored it up, and headed out to the balcony for a few minutes to get away from the damned snoring.

When breakfast arrived, Rosalie awakened and stumbled into the living area looking like death warmed over. I glanced at her as I sat down to my waffle. "You look like ass."

"Thanks. So do you," she shot back at me.

I went back to my waffle and ate about three bites before I started feeling sick. I didn't like being at odds with Edward. I wanted to go to him so badly and just talk it out and make up, but I felt strongly that he owed me some serious explanation and needed to grovel a little. That shot in the gut about all women being the same was just too much for me to overlook. His behavior had to be nipped in the bud before it got out of hand.

I shoved my plate away and grabbed the paper, rattling it around as I tucked it under my arm and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. "You got anything I can wear around here?" I asked Rose as I went. She came in the bedroom and tossed me a pair of sweats and a tank top. I glanced at them and shrugged. "Thanks." She didn't answer me, but kept eyeing me as though she were waiting for me to blow up or something. She had no fucking idea.

Once I was out of the shower and felt a little better, had downed a couple of Tylenol, and was on my second cup of coffee, I sat down with the paper. I noticed that Emmett was gone when I got up, but I didn't ask where. At least I hadn't heard Rose throwing shit at him while I was in the bathroom.

I had just gotten settled into the chair and found the entertainment section of the newspaper when all hell broke loose. I stood up, furious, looked at Rose and yelled, "Oh _hell_ no!"

Startled, Rose jumped up from the table and ran over to me. "What?" she cried, staring at me with her big blue eyes wide.

I shoved the paper at her and started crying and shaking with anger all at once. She looked at the paper and her fist tightened, crumpling the page. She looked up at me, fury on her face and seethed, "Fuck. Her."

I snatched the paper out of her hand and headed for the door, not wanting another minute to pass by before I took care of this. I needed to do it while it was fresh and I was angry.

"Where are you going?" Rose shouted, jogging to catch up with me.

I reached the door and grabbed the knob, turning to face her. "I'm going to take care of this shit now. Pack," I ordered her. She stopped and backed off, letting me go do what I needed to.

As I made my way down the hallway to Edward's suite, the rage within me rose ten-fold and my entire body vibrated with it. "_If that sonofabitch wants her, he can fucking have her,"_ I thought as I reached his door.

* * *

_**Edward**_

I woke up to the sound of my bedroom door opening and thought, _"Is she finally coming home? Does she hate me now? If she doesn't, she will after I talk to her and tell her what happened…"_ I didn't have time to worry about it, though. I sat up to greet her and she slapped me. Hard. I was stunned and trying to get my bearings. I peered up into the angriest face I had ever seen. She thrust the newspaper at me, the fury rolling off of her in waves. Her tiny frame was shaking as she glared down at me.

"What the fuck, Edward? What the _fuck_ is that?" she yelled. I scrambled for the paper, dreading what I might see on its pages.

Sure enough, there it was, right there on the front page of the entertainment section. A picture of my previous night's indiscretion. As innocent as it was, it didn't look innocent plastered all over the newspaper. I blinked a couple of times and tossed the paper aside.

"Bella, please, look, I can explain," I stammered.

"Well? Start then. You have one hell of a lot of explaining to do and I have a fucking plane to catch, so get after it!" Her anger level wasn't lessening as she stood there with her arms crossed.

I made a move to get out of bed and she stopped me. "No, Edward. Now. I don't want you anywhere near me, so don't even try. Give me whatever lame assed explanation you've got for your behavior last night, for _that_," she pointed at the paper, "and for why the fuck you've been lying to me all along telling me you loved me and couldn't live without me." The tears began to roll down her face and I felt as though my heart had been ripped out of my chest.

I watched her as she angrily pushed the tears off her face with her fists. I was a piece of shit. I had behaved in the worst of ways at that damned party. I didn't know what had come over me. As soon as we got there, I just left her. I didn't even think to take her with me. Fucking Velvet.

"Bella, please, sit down. Please?" I wanted her to calm down just a little because what I had to tell her wasn't going to be easy and I didn't want her flipping the fuck out. I wanted her to get closer to me so that maybe I could hold her or some shit. Okay, so I'm a selfish fuck. I wanted her to just fucking forgive me and get over it, but I knew it wasn't going to be that way.

"Edward, either start fucking talking or I'm out of here!" she yelled, pointing at the door and stomping her foot for emphasis. Fuck, she was hot when she was mad, but I couldn't be thinking like that. I had to diffuse the situation.

I finally decided to take my chances and stand up, but found out that was a bad idea since I was sporting morning wood.

"Jesus Christ, Edward. Fuck you," she shouted as she turned towards the door. I ordered my dick to control itself as I chased her out of the bedroom.

"Bella, c'mon, baby, just gimme a minute to wake up, go to the bathroom, collect myself, and then we can talk, please?" I said, grabbing her arm. Her elbow immediately met my solar plexus, nearly knocking the wind out of me. She whirled around and got right in my face, shoving her finger into my chest.

"Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me. I wasn't a cop's daughter for nothing," she spat at me. "Quit trying to stall. If what you have to say is too hard for you, then I'm fucking sorry I bothered you. I'll just get on back home." She turned and headed for the door again. I had to stop her. I was still trying to wake up, my fucking head was pounding, I felt like I was gonna puke, and I just didn't want to have to deal with what lie ahead.

"I love you," I blurted out. Probably not the best choice of words, but it was the only thing I knew of to stop her. She did stop, but didn't turn around. I could see her body trembling from head to toe and could see the red flushing her cheek. _Fuck. I just pissed her off more._

"If you loved me, we wouldn't be fighting right now because we wouldn't have a reason to fight," she said in a voice that was deadly calm, but shaking.

"Please hear me out. When I get done, you can leave, or whatever you want, but I want you to hear me out first. Please, Bella? Please?" _What kind of fucking pansy-assed motherfucker begs? The kind that made a total and complete fucking ass of himself last night, stupid. _

I waited for her decision, my stomach pulling flip-flops the entire time. When she turned and walked back towards me, brushing past me to sit on the sofa, I felt so fucking relieved. She was at least going to listen.

"Okay, I'll be right back, okay? Don't go anywhere," I said as I ran for the bathroom. I threw some mouthwash in my mouth because I had some serious fucking morning breath going on, eliminated the cause of my morning wood, and threw on a pair of sweats before I returned to the living area. She was still sitting there, glaring, arms crossed. I almost sat on the sofa next to her, but thought better of it and sat in the chair across from her instead.

"Bella, I was a fucking ass last night and I apologize, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry, baby." I knew that I would need to say more than that, but I hoped that starting with an apology would help.

"You're not going to hear any argument from me. You _were _a fucking ass last night. Explain," she ordered. Her tone of voice had not softened at all. It had a hard edge to it that scared me. It was as though she was devoid of any emotion except anger. Her words were like a knife in my gut, stabbing and twisting. I took a deep breath before I continued.

"Look, I overreacted when I saw you talking to Marshall, okay? It looked… well… it looked like he was kissing your ear when I glanced over there. There's not exactly any love lost between us anyway, and… okay, there's no excuse. I freaked. I'm sorry." All she did was nod. She didn't say a fucking word. Jesus, she was making me feel like shit, and rightfully so.

"Well," I continued, shifting in my chair a bit. This was the part that really made me uncomfortable, because after I overreacted and she left was when I really fucked up. I mean, I didn't do anything bad… necessarily… depending on how you looked at it and she was going to look at it the bad way.

I braced myself for Hurricane Bella and kept talking. "After I discovered you were gone, Emmett tried to talk to me, but I said some really ugly things to him and left him standing at the bar. I, uh, went out to the balcony and proceeded to get really fucked up, like more fucked up than I already was."

I kept my eyes on Bella while I spoke. I saw her jaw clenching, the muscles in her face twitching, her fists tightening. Her body language was closed and her face held a look of pure agony mixed with anger. I briefly wondered if it was even worth my trying to explain to her and make up with her, but I couldn't bear the thought of her leaving me. I really couldn't live without her.

"Keep talking, Edward. I've still got to pack before I can leave." She made a point of making her eyes never leave my face as she said this, serious as a heart attack. Her voice was so low that I could hardly hear her. It was eerie how calm she had become. I was afraid that I was watching our relationship crumble right before my very eyes.

I decided just to get the rest of it over with, so I talked really fast as I told her the rest of the story. "I was out there looking out at the city, finally realizing what a dick I had been to you, when Alecia came out to talk to me. She saw me standing out there alone, had seen you leave, and was worried about us. She stood next to me, talking, for the longest time. She helped me to understand exactly what had been going on when I flipped out, and that made me feel even more like a dick, and I was drunk as fuck, and emo…" I trailed off, remembering my drunken fucking ass blubbering like a fucking baby on the balcony. I glanced back over at Bella, because at some point, I had become too much of a chicken shit to maintain eye contact with her while I spoke. She was bouncing her leg up and down and grinding her teeth. Her eyes held daggers that were piercing right through me.

"When I got ready to leave and come back here, she gave me a hug. I thanked her and _pecked_ her on the cheek and the lips. I swear to God, Bella. It was an innocent 'thank you' kiss. I had no idea there were any paparazzi around. I didn't even know that picture was taken. I had every intention…" I stopped and stared at her. She was trembling with fury again, but trying to maintain her calm façade. I didn't know whether to go on, or not, but decided it was best if I just continued until she either stopped me, left me, or killed me. Although, at that point in time, I would really rather she kill me than anything. I couldn't stand her being so angry with me, even if I did deserve it.

"I had every intention of telling you exactly what happened when I got back, but when I got here, you weren't around. I knew that Rose had left the party with you, so I went to her suite to ask her where you were. She wouldn't let me see you, and it pissed me off because I wanted to explain myself… apologize… whatever. I came back here, talked to Emmett for a while, and passed the fuck out. And that's everything." I stopped for a moment, waiting for a response, and then added, "And I'm really really sorry, for everything. I never meant to hurt you."

I waited in agony while Bella decided my fate. If she left me, I deserved it. I deserved it for leaving her at the party, for the shitty things I had said and thought, for kissing an old flame on the fucking balcony, even if it was innocent, for dragging her into my mess of a life. I deserved everything she could throw at me, and then some. I sat there bargaining with myself. _If she stays, I'll stop drinking. I'll never touch another drop. I'll ditch Velvet and just be me. I'll do anything. I'll stop living the lifestyle… just please… please God… let her stay._

"How could you compare me to Tanya like that, Edward? How could you? You know damn well that I'm nothing like Tanya, yet the first time you got upset with me, that was what came out of your mouth. I'm more hurt about that than I am the picture in the paper. All that picture is going to do is escalate your career. You're a rapper. You're supposed to be out getting fucked up and cheating on your woman, all the while expecting her to be true to you." Her voice started to rise again, and I could tell that she was in a quandary over what she should do. "I'm hurt, I feel betrayed, and I feel used," she yelled, a sob making its way out of her mouth at the end.

I didn't know if I should say something or just sit there. She moved towards the edge of the sofa and I immediately stood and started towards her. Apparently that wasn't the right thing to do because she jumped up and started backing away from me. I reached for her and she shrank back from me again.

"I didn't mean it, Bella. I promise. I swear. On Abby's life, I swear I didn't mean it." She stopped as soon as Abby's name came out of my mouth. Abby was the single most important thing in my life. Bella knew that. It gave her pause and I hoped it made her realize how truly sorry I was.

"Don't think you're getting out of it that easily. Have a nice time in Ireland," she said icily as she turned and stalked out of our suite, slamming the door behind her.

I collapsed on the sofa, holding my head in my hands. I ran my fingers up into my hair and clenched my fists. I couldn't just let her go, I just couldn't. I jumped up and ran to the door, throwing it open. I saw her disappear into Rosalie's room door just as I entered the hallway and I ran, leaving my door standing wide open. I made it to the door before Rosalie closed it, putting my foot inside.

"Get the fuck out of here," Rosalie said, appearing in the crack between the door and the jamb.

"I can't lose her like this." My voice was desperate. I knew it, and she knew it.

Emmett appeared behind Rosalie and took the door from her, opening it enough to stop crushing my damn foot.

"Go on, Rose. Go take care of her," he said quietly.

By then, I was a wreck. I needed her forgiveness. I needed her arms around me. I needed her love. I looked pleadingly at Emmett and he begrudgingly let me inside, on the condition that I didn't try to go into the bedroom where Bella had locked herself as soon as she entered the suite. Rosalie was softly knocking at the bedroom door, asking Bella to let her in.

My mind was swirling with the implications of all that had happened. I had taken advantage of Bella in the worst way. I had hurt her more than I deserved to be forgiven for, but I couldn't walk away. I fucked up. A giant hole was ripped in my chest and it ached so bad I couldn't stand up. I grabbed a chair for support, feeling like I couldn't breathe. She felt used. Of course she felt used. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

Rosalie was still trying to get Bella to open the bedroom door, while Emmett was trying to support my weight as I tumbled further and further into an abyss.

_Did I use her? Fuck no! I love her! But I took her for granted. I didn't take care of her like I promised her I would. God… I'd give anything to take it all back… those vicious words I said…_

Bella screaming at Rosalie brought me out of the darkness. I heard her voice, and fought to hang on to it.

"Leave me the _fuck alone_, Rosalie! You were no better last night! You all fucking abandoned me, so fuck off and leave me ALONE!"

Rosalie turned to face Emmett and me, stunned. "What the fuck did you say to her, Edward?"

"What? I… I apologized… I explained… I…" My voice sounded foreign to me. I was stammering and stuttering and couldn't understand why. At once, we all realized that this wasn't _just_ about what I had said to her. This was about everyone leaving her. Fuck. I gathered my strength and went to the bedroom door.

"Bella, come on, baby. Open the door. We all love you. We're all sorry for what happened. Please, baby, just open the door. Let someone in. It doesn't have to be me," I pleaded with her. I heard her moving around the bedroom and heard her crying, but she never came near the door. I pleaded with her for an eternity to just open the fucking door, but I was met with silence from the other side.

Rosalie was texting furiously on her phone and my phone started ringing. I snatched it out of my pocket. It was Rhianne, of course.

"What is it, Rhianne? We've got a bit of a crisis here," I whispered as I crossed the room, leaving Emmett to try and coax Bella out of the bedroom.

"You've got an 8:00 pm flight, Edward. I'm just calling to let you know that all the arrangements have been made. What's the crisis?"

"Nothing. We may not make that flight. Can you reschedule it for tomorrow?" I kept glancing at the bedroom door where Emmett was getting upset with Bella because she wasn't answering him. I started scanning the room for her purse and became frantic when I realized it wasn't there. I didn't even wait for Rhianne's response. I clicked my phone off just as Alice and Jasper came tearing into the room.

"Where's Bella's purse?" I asked frantically.

"FUCK!" Rosalie yelled. "She grabbed it when she went in there." Rosalie's eyes were wide with fear as she realized what my concern was.

Whatever composure I had left went out the window. Bella had been locked in that bedroom for a good 30 minutes and she wasn't responding at all anymore to anyone's pleas for her to open the door. Emmett starting filling Alice and Jasper in on what was going on as I took off at a dead run for the bedroom door and slammed my full body weight against it. It creaked and groaned, but didn't budge.

"Bella, damn it, open this door right now or I'm coming in!" I shouted.

No response.

I waited a second more.

No response.

I backed up a few feet and ran at the door again, putting my shoulder into it. The lock gave way under my weight and the door flew open. I charged inside as I saw her lying across the bed.

When I first saw her, I thought she was dead. I screamed something incoherent as Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper all rushed past me.

Jasper reached her first and turned her over. Saliva slid down the side of her face and her hair stuck in it. "She's breathing," he said.

I ran to her, gathered her into my arms, and started rocking her back and forth. Flashes of memories flooded my mind of the times I had rushed Tanya to the hospital when she was OD'ing. It scared the bejeebus out of me and I started flipping out.

"Oh God, Bella, no, what did you do? Fuck. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. Stay with me, baby, stay with me." I buried my face in her hair and held her tight while looking wildly around the room for the offending pill bottle that I knew was responsible for her unconscious state. My eyes landed on one that was lying on its side on the bedside table… fucking empty. I reached over and grabbed it. Fucking Ativan. I rocked her harder.

"God damn it, Bella, how much did you take? Fuck." I didn't even think, I just jumped and ran. I tore down the hallway and kicked the button of the elevator with my bare foot, trying to talk to her all the while. Our four friends were right behind me, all in various states of pulling on shoes and jackets.

"Where are you going with her, Edward?" Alice shouted with tears streaming down her face.

"Fuck, I don't know. A fucking hospital!" I shouted back as I ran into the slow ass elevator. My heart was pounding. I cradled her as the other four piled into the elevator and Emmett took over, pushing the button and telling everyone to calm down.

Alice asked Rosalie how many pills were in the bottle the day before. Rose explained that Bella had two bottles in her purse, one with just a few pills in it and a full one. None of us had grabbed her purse to see which one she had emptied. I was freaking out. I barely registered the words they were all saying. I was focused on Bella and Bella alone.

"Please wake up, baby," I whispered through my tears into her hair. I felt so fucking responsible for this whole thing. Bella would never have done this had it not been for me. I was miserable and sick. It was all I could do to not throw up as the elevator rushed to the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, I dashed out, running across the lobby barefoot, carrying my unconscious wife. Naturally, the lobby was packed with people, but everyone got out of my way as I ran through, tears streaming down my face.

"I've got you, baby. I'll take care of you, I promise. Just be okay, please be okay," I chanted to her as I ran out the front doors of the hotel and to the first waiting cab.

Jasper yanked the cab door open and I nearly fell inside with Bella in my arms. Jasper jumped in the front seat and told the cabbie to please take us to the nearest hospital and step on it. The cabbie peered into the back seat at Bella and me.

"Dude! What the fuck are you lookin' at? Fucking step on it!" I yelled at him.

I immediately returned my attention to Bella as the cab driver tore away from the hotel and drove like a fucking maniac. I heard Jasper arguing with him, but didn't pay attention to their words. My Bella just had to be okay.

* * *

_**End Note: **Just so you know, I've shopped the internet for flame-proof clothing. _

_I love you all, hard and repeatedly. Just so you know._

_The Vixen jet is all decked out, ready for take-off. Let's fuel it up, ladies. _


	34. Realization

**_Disclaimer: _**_SM owns all things Twilight. I own all things EC Velvet and The Letter._

_Lillie ~ As always, my thanks for your fucktastic beta skills, without which, I would suck. Tami & Amy ~ Thanks for all you do!_

_Chapter theme song is Two is Better than One by Boys Like Girls feat. Taylor Swift_

_

* * *

_

_**Bella**_

I heard Edward singing to me. At first, I thought it was a dream, but soon realized that I was waking up, and he was really there and was really singing. My eyes were still closed and my eyelids felt heavy. I concentrated on feeling and listening.

My hand was in Edward's and I tried to tighten my grip. Edward didn't miss a note, he just continued to sing.

I thought back, trying to remember what had happened. My mind was fuzzy and I felt groggy, but I remembered the fight with Edward. I remembered the desperation I had felt and how hurt I had been. I recalled feeling as though I just wanted to go to sleep and when I woke up, all the drama would be over.

I was so angry with Edward and all of my friends for leaving me on my own that I just wanted to get away from all of them for awhile. I hated feeling the way I did. Everything was happening so fast and I realized that Edward and I both had issues we should have resolved before we jumped into our marriage blindly.

I inhaled deeply and smelled the scent of Edward washing over me. He smelled clean, and woodsy, and… safe. I could also smell something floral… roses.

I moved around ever so slightly and Edward's beautiful voice hesitated for just a moment before he continued singing and… rocking me.

_He really does love me…_

The entire fight had been ridiculous. If I hadn't been such a pansy about being alone at the party, none of it ever would have happened. I said things to him, awful things that I wished I was able to take back, but I couldn't. I treated him horribly. Nothing like how I wanted to treat the man that I loved desperately. Of course, he hadn't treated me very well either, but in the end, it was all a misunderstanding. He shouldn't have had to babysit me. I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

I shifted my weight again and realized that I was lying against Edward's body. His arms were around me and he was rocking me. He must have picked the lock on Rose's bedroom door or something.

_Fuck. Rose is gonna be furious. I wonder how long I've been asleep in here?_

Finally, I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times. I was definitely not in Rose's room anymore. Edward's singing stopped and my ears were met with nothing but the sound of our breathing and his heart beating. I looked up into the most devastated face I had ever seen.

"Hi," was all he said.

"Hi." I could feel the blush rise to my cheeks. I was embarrassed by my earlier behavior. Edward's hand cupped my face and he kissed me tenderly.

"You scared the fuck out of me, baby." His face was the picture of genuine concern.

I noticed that it was mostly dark in the room. Suddenly, I wondered how long I really _had_ been asleep.

"I… I'm sorry… how long was I…?"

"Seventeen hours and thirty-seven minutes, to be exact, not that I was counting or anything." He smiled and winked at me, which made my insides quiver and feel warm.

"Oh God… Edward I'm…"

"Shhhh," he said, placing a finger over my lips. "No apologies, okay? It was all my fault. I should have behaved like the man who loves you instead of an asshole rapper. I'm a big dickhead, I'll admit it."

Edward's smile didn't reach his eyes. There was a sadness there that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I could definitely see it. I tried to keep the mood as light as possible, though.

"Ummmm… where are we?" I asked, glancing around.

"In our hotel suite in New York." Edward shifted me so that he could hold me closer and it felt so good to be in his arms. I snuggled into him, trying to get as close as possible.

"Sooooo…. I've been asleep for seventeen hours and we missed our flight to Ireland?" I felt like a total and complete ass. All I wanted to do was go to sleep for a little while, not for seventeen and a half fucking hours.

"It's all taken care of. Don't worry your pretty little head about the details, baby. I pay other people to do that. I just want you to worry about feeling better, okay?" Edward was stroking my face, my hair, my arm. His touch was so gentle and so sincere. He was a completely different man than he had been the night before. I was ashamed of how I had treated him earlier and for taking those four fucking Ativan to knock myself out... I must've looked like...

"You thought I OD'd, didn't you?" I blurted out, suddenly realizing what the pain in his eyes was all about. _Fuck, Bella! How could you be so fucking stupid?! Oh God… Oh God… What the fuck did I do?_

Edward's hand cupped my face again. "I told you I didn't want any apologies. Yeah, I flipped out and thought you OD'd. We were almost to the hospital when Rose called and said you couldn't have taken any more than four pills. I had Jasper call Carlisle and he said you'd be fine, that you just needed to sleep it off. So, we came back here and I just held you and let you sleep all day… and most of the night." He stopped and chuckled briefly. "You have got to be the cutest thing in the universe when you're in a drugged up stupor, sleeping."

I giggled at that. I couldn't even begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been for Edward when he thought I had intentionally overdosed on Ativan, but for him to think that I was cute when I was sleeping it off was just too much. I reached up to place my hand on Edward's cheek and he leaned into it, letting his eyes fall closed to the feel of my touch.

"I love you, Edward. I love you more than my own life. I promise that I will never, ever, do anything like this again. I promise never to scare you like that again. And I promise, with all my heart, to love you forever and accept who you are without question."

We sat there in amicable silence for a while, just drinking each other in. I still felt really sleepy and apparently, my ass had not slept enough because I dozed off again. It was morning when I finally _really_ woke up. I opened my eyes and blinked a couple of times, noticing that the curtains were closed, but this time there was a hint of light around them. Edward and I were still wrapped around each other and he was snoring softly. Carefully, I slid out of bed and tip-toed to the bathroom.

When I came out, Edward was lying on his side, his head propped up on his arm, smiling. "C'mere, baby."

I went to him and he stood to hug me tight. When he released me, the tip of his finger slid under my chin and he pulled my face up to his, placing one soft kiss on my lips. "Let's go get breakfast and talk, okay?" I nodded in agreement, ready to have the last couple of days behind us.

It was a beautiful morning and we went out on the balcony to eat our breakfast. I had fresh fruit, yogurt, and coffee, while Edward dove into eggs, pancakes, bacon, toast, fruit, and coffee. We ate in amicable silence, just enjoying the morning and being together. When we were done, I knew it was time. We had to talk things out. I hesitated and it gave Edward the time he needed to begin.

"Bella, I'm really concerned about your use of sleeping pills and anxiety pills. I realize that I acted like a total dick the other night, and I'm truly sorry for that, but I can't stand by and watch you self- destruct like this."

I twisted my napkin in my lap and stared down at it. He was right, and I knew he was right. "I'll get rid of them, Edward. I don't need them nearly as much as I need you. I can live without them," I said uncomfortably. While I believed every word I had said, putting those words into actions could prove difficult, but all I had to do was remember the pain in Edward's face the previous night when he had spent so many hours watching me sleep, worrying about me. The memory of his pained eyes was all I needed to steel my resolve.

"Look at me, Bella." Edward's voice was firm, but not angry. I looked up at him and saw the love there, written on his face. "If you need them, I don't have a problem with that, but I do have a problem with you swallowing four pills because you're so distraught that you think just going to sleep and avoiding the problem is the best way to handle it. I can't…" His voice faltered, as did his face. I quickly interrupted to keep him from having to finish saying aloud what I already knew he was thinking.

"I know you can't, Edward, and I'm not going to put you through that again. I'm ashamed of my behavior. I never want to see the hurt I saw in your eyes last night again because of me." I reached for his hand and held it tightly. "I promise, I will _not_ allow myself to go down that road. It's not fair to you, it's not fair to me, and it's not fair to Abby. You and Abby have both been through enough bullshit. I just let things get out of hand and it won't happen again. I promise, with all my heart." I kept my eyes on his while I spoke, making sure that I projected every ounce of resolve in my words and my body language that I felt in my heart.

"I believe you and I trust you to do the right thing, babe. I just hope that when things get to be too much for you, you'll trust me enough to ask for my help." Edward's words struck a chord in me. Trust. That single word hit me as if Edward had just poured a bucket of ice water over my head. Trust. For the first time, it occurred to me that I might have a problem trusting other people, men in particular. First there was my dad, then Jacob, then Mike. It was no wonder I didn't trust men. Edward must have seen the wheels turning in my mind. "What's wrong, Bella?" he asked with genuine concern.

I stuttered, "I was… I… I was… that word… trust." Edward moved closer to me. "I just realized that I may have some issues with trusting people. I mean… I know that I love you, and I trust you, in theory, but…"

Edward chuckled and hugged me. "I have problems with it as well, obviously," he said with a smirk. I thought back to the night of the party and him flipping out when I was talking to Marshall. I nodded.

"We need to work on that, I guess, don't we?" Edward agreed immediately and I felt as though we had our first big breakthrough. We both had trust issues. I thought about things for a minute and added, "And abandonment. We both have problems with abandonment."

Edward's face lit up and he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I think you're right. For me, it's been since my parents died. I always think that everyone is going to leave me, including you. I'm sorry."

I was actually excited that we were talking this out and figuring things out. "No, no, don't be sorry, Edward. We both have a lot of shit we've been through prior to this relationship. It only stands to reason that it would have a negative affecteffect on us. The good news is, we're recognizing these things and we can fix them before they're our undoing!" I hugged Edward with all my might, thrilled that we seemed to be getting somewhere.

Edward looked thoughtful for a minute, then said, "We need counseling. Both of us, apart and together. I don't want to lose you, Bella. I'll do whatever it takes."

I smiled before agreeing with him, on all counts. I didn't want to lose him either. He was undoubtedly my soulmate and we were meant to be together. There was no other way to explain it. Too many things had to happen to bring us together. I wasn't about to let anything like bullshit that had happened to both of us in our pasts tear us apart.

We talked awhile longer, agreeing to seek counseling as soon as the tour was over, and until then, to make time for us to talk to each other when one or the other of us was feeling overwhelmed. I really felt good about the resolution of the situation and was pleased to be able to move forward in our relationship without fear. We were both struggling with some of the same issues, we just hadn't realized it ourselves, nor had we shared it with each other. Now that we had, it felt like things were going to be okay for us.

We headed back to the bedroom, arm in arm, discussing our flight to Ireland coming up that evening. We needed to get packed and get ready to go, but when we reached the bedroom, I found that I only had one thing on my mind. I turned to Edward and kissed his perfect lips, my hands finding their way to his fly to quickly undo the buttons.

He took over immediately, pushing me over on the bed and crawling on top of me. His kisses burned, slow and seductive. I found myself breathless and wanting.

After a few minutes of kissing and groping, Edward pressed his groin into me, letting me feel his length against my center. At the same time, he whispered, "I want you."

Breathlessly, I whispered back, "I need you."

Our bodies were so in sync with each other that the act of removing our clothing seemed like a well rehearsed dance. Articles of clothing fell from the bed effortlessly.

Edward's lips caressed mine with a longing desire and when my lips parted to allow him entry, his tongue danced inside my mouth sending chills down my spine.

Painfully slowly, Edward moved along my body like a cat. He licked, kissed, sucked, and caressed every inch of my exposed skin, causing me to feel as though I was going to explode with desire. When he reached my breasts, he rolled one peak between his thumb and forefinger while ravishing the other one with his tongue, lips, and teeth before alternating. Every touch, every kiss, every nip, sent a wave of heat, scorching through me directly to my core. My hips thrust against him of their own volition, begging him to move more quickly, but he just kept up the slow burn, inching his way across my belly, stopping to teasingly dip his tongue inside my belly button and swirl it around.

My desire for his body was overwhelming me to the point that I was nearly in tears, begging him to hurry. When one, long finger slid inside me, my first orgasm exploded all around me, leaving my body in a quivering mass of avidity, wanting, no demanding, more. I heard him chuckle as he slid another finger inside me and swirled his tongue across my clit.

"Oh, God, Edward!" I half screamed and half panted as I came again, pushing myself down on his fingers and pressing myself against his lips.

Satisfied that he had me worked up enough, Edward moved above me and placed himself at my entrance, staring into my eyes as he entered me slowly, excruciatingly slowly. I felt every inch of him as he stretched me and my muscles relaxed, accommodating his size. When he was fully sheathed inside me, he didn't move, just stared at me with those liquid green eyes of his, a half-smirk on his face.

I stared back up at him, panting, clawing at him with my fingernails. I finally found my way up to his head and fisted both hands in his coppery hair, feeling my fingernails brush across his scalp as I pulled him to me. His arms slid around me, one reaching down to squeeze my ass, as he began to move against me, slowly at first, but building momentum with each thrust. He buried his face in my neck, whispering unintelligible words of love and desire in my ear as his tongue caressed my skin.

My eyes fell closed and I let my mind concentrate on my other senses. I felt the length of Edward's body pressed to mine, a light sheen of sweat covering us both, causing us to slide against each other effortlessly. I could feel Edward's length pulsing inside me, making long, slow strokes in and out. I felt the way my body gripped at him and pulled him back inside. I concentrated on the building fury in my core, rising with every touch, every thrust, every whispered word. I smelled our sex on the air, a dizzying mixture of his scent and mine.

Edward's movements became more insistent, more rapid. I threw my head back into the pillow and gripped his muscular thighs with my heels, pulling him to me, begging him to push harder.

"Fuck… Edward… Please…" I begged.

"What do you want, baby, tell me," he panted.

"Harder… Faster…"

Edward growled and kicked it into high gear thrusting hard against me, moaning aloud with every motion that brought our bodies together. My orgasm approached like a runaway train. I panted and clawed and writhed against Edward, trying to make it last, but in the end, I just gave in to the feelings and let my climax wash over me, taking over my entire being. I screamed out in ecstasy as the first waves hit, sending me over the edge into oblivion. I was barely aware of Edward's entire body stiffening before he too cried out, and then filled me with his own climax.

As we lay there together, panting, running our hands over each other's bodies languidly, I realized that this was exactly where I belonged. I was in Edward's arms and we were meant to be together. Nothing in my past or his mattered, as long as we had each other.

* * *

I felt the plane losing altitude and sat up, my eyes bleary from sleeping. I was surprised that I had been able to sleep at all considering I had thrown out my Ativan and my sleeping pills while packing for Ireland. When I looked out the window of the plane, the greenest expanse of land I had ever seen laid before me.

Excited, I awakened Edward. "We're almost there!" He grinned and sat up, looking out the window with me and squeezing my hand.

We landed at the Dublin Airport and made our way through customs and security in no time. Abby was bouncing excitedly and holding my hand tightly as we found our transportation and headed to our hotel.

The next several days were like a whirlwind of activity. Edward had a show in Dublin the day after we arrived. After that, we took a short flight to London to prepare for his British shows. We were exhausted every night after long days of sight-seeing and public appearances, so sleep wasn't a problem. Britain was almost a blur as we had a show in London, then Manchester, Birmingham, and Leeds, as well as a special trip to Swansea, Wales for a reason that was never really revealed to me.

After the Leeds show, we moved on to Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland, again trying to cram as much sight-seeing as possible into the short time we had in each place. Even though the shows were usually more than one day apart, we were more tired than we had been in the States, simply because we were trying to do more on the off days than just sleep.

Leaving Scotland behind us, we flew to Norway where Edward had a show in Oslo, and then to Paris. Paris was lovely, and while I would have liked to have spent more time there, sadly, we had to move on.

Munich, Cologne, and Berlin, Germany were next, followed by Warsaw, Poland and Rome, Italy.

The Rome show was great fun and the Italian fans were great. I did have the oddest feeling when some of the fans showed up backstage though. Something about them was… off. They were all beautiful, even more beautiful than Rosalie, which is something in and of itself, but they were all pale with the oddest color of eyes. They were all incredibly kind and didn't stay long. The ladies in the group each asked Edward for an autograph and pictures, which he willingly provided, and after that, they all just sort of… disappeared. It was almost unnerving in a way that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but none of them jumped out from a dark corner when we left or anything, so I put them out of my mind.

Somewhere in the mass confusion of traveling around Europe, my birthday had come and gone without a thought by either Edward or me. Abby's birthday, however, was coming up, and we were desperate to do something special for her. Of course, Rhianne was already a step ahead, having planned Abby's birthday as a day off from touring so we could spend the day with her.

It so happened that Abby's birthday would fall when we arrived for our Australian leg of the tour. Sydney seemed like it would be a perfect place to celebrate.

When we left Rome, we flew to Johannesburg, South Africa for a show there, and from there we flew to Sydney.

We were met at the airport in Sydney by thousands of screaming fans. Edward had told me he was big in Australia, but I had no idea. We found ourselves in a sea of fans screaming for autographs, but mostly they just wanted to touch Edward.

We got settled in our hotel and rested up as the next day was the big birthday party. I let Abby stay with us that night, wanting her to feel close to her family for her birthday and less like she was luggage, which is the feeling I got that she felt like sometimes.

The morning of Abby's birthday, I woke up early and ordered in breakfast. I got out a couple of her presents for her to open at breakfast, took my shower, woke Edward up, and when we were ready, we awakened Abby.

Abby sprang out of bed and ran to the table, excited that there were five candles in her French toast. I giggled watching her as she blew out the candles and tore through her presents. It was the perfect start to her special day.

We took Abby to the beach, the aquarium, and Luna Park. We let her have whatever she wanted that day, and rounded it off with a nice dinner and birthday cake with everyone traveling with us. Abby was so exhausted that after she ate her cake and opened the rest of her presents, she fell asleep in my lap and I carried her up to our room to put her to bed.

Edward and I sat down to watch a movie after Abby was settled in and he surprised me with a gift of my own. It was a stunning diamond necklace that he had designed himself and I shook my head in amazement at how he ever found time to have these pieces made without my knowledge. Not only that, but how he managed to get the necklace delivered to him in Australia.

"I know that we didn't celebrate _your_ birthday, baby, and I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel left out."

He was something else, my Edward. I just smiled and threw my arms around him, lavishing him with kisses. We were back to our usual selves, and I was loving every minute of it. We were also very close to being done with the tour, and I couldn't wait. I just wanted to be home.

* * *

_**End Note: **See? Everything was just fine. Thanks to all of you for trusting me and bearing with me while we made our way through that mess. :) _

_We are picking up several passengers on the Vixen Jet in Australia and we have a special trip we have to make to Longreach in the Australian Outback because I promised a certain someone that we would. ;) So Vixens... fuel the jet and review!_


	35. Completion

**_A/N: _**_Hi everyone! Thanks for hanging around and waiting for me to post this chapter. Rather than making excuses, I'm just going to say, "Sorry. Unfortunately I DO have a life, and it sucks sometimes. :)"_

_**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer may own her version of these characters, but I own this version. Please don't mess with either of our shit._

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* * *

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_**Edward**_

The final show. As I stood in the darkness beneath the stage awaiting the riser to take me up, I could hear the sounds of the crowd. Stomping. Clapping. Screaming. The sound was so deafening that it vibrated within my chest. It was the first time in a long time that I had even paid attention; listened to them chanting my name.

_Velvet… Velvet… Velvet…_

The heaviness of the bass began to thump and I was bathed in the lights filtering through the hole in the stage floor. I listened as the noise from the crowd rose in intensity and then began to ease as the sound of Curtis's voice boomed from the banks of speakers on either side of the stage.

I was exhausted and glad it was to be my last performance of the tour. Bella and Abby had flown home from New Zealand because Abby had a fever and sore throat. Bella couldn't bear the thought of sending her home sick with Mary, so she had gone with them. It was bitter-sweet when she left. While I was thrilled that she wanted to take care of my little girl, I knew I would miss her for the last few weeks of the tour.

The voices of my other guys joined with Curtis and it was my cue to begin. I took a deep breath and started talking into the mike as the riser took me up to the stage and to my faithful fans. As I walked on stage, I left thoughts of my exhaustion behind me, along with thoughts of loneliness due to Bella and Abby's absence.

Later, on the flight home however I couldn't get them off my mind. It was going to be evening when I arrived and I couldn't wait to get there. I wanted my Bella in my arms again. As the jet reached cruising altitude, I let my mind drift back to some of the recent events and the aftermath.

* * *

Bella had scared the ever-livin' shit out of me when she pulled that stunt with the damned Ativan. I felt like I was having a heart attack as the fear gripped my chest when I thought she had OD'd. Thank God Rosalie had discovered that Bella couldn't have taken any more than four pills and not a whole fucking bottle. Waiting for her to wake up was excruciating at best. So many thoughts echoed through my mind during those seventeen hours of hell.

I knew that Bella and I would need to talk when she woke up, and not just about her usage of the pills in an inappropriate manner, either. I had behaved like a fucking dick. No doubt about it. My comparison of Bella to Tanya had been not only a low blow, but highly inflammatory in nature.

I wished that I could go back to that night and take it all back. Every bit of it. Starting with leaving Bella on her own. Sure, it was a working party for me, but had I really been working? Fuck no. I was drinking. I was socializing. I was talking to people that I rarely got to see with no thought whatsoever about what was to become of Bella that night.

When she finally awoke, and we talked, I noticed something. Bella was so focused on her own mistake that she completely neglected to discuss mine with me. I let it go for awhile, thinking that maybe she had forgotten, but a couple of days later, my guilt overtook me and I brought it up. Of course, I knew that Bella had already forgiven me, but I had to say the words. It was just… I just needed to.

We were on the train from Dublin to Waterford when I finally brought it up. It seemed like the right place and time. We were alone, sort of, and were watching the Irish countryside out the window of the train. I had wanted to take Bella to Waterford to buy her some crystal. She didn't seem to really know the significance of Waterford crystal, but I made it my mission to change that.

"I shouldn't have left you alone," I said quietly as she looked out the window. She turned to me, her features soft, her eyes heavy with emotion.

"Forget it, Edward. I have," was her simple reply before she turned back to the window and squeezed my hand.

"Bella… I've not forgotten, nor will I. I need you to know how sorry I am for leaving you alone and for overreacting… and for the picture in the newspaper, and for the media shitstorm over me carrying you out of the hotel like that. That kind of shit can fuck us over, and I don't want it to, and I'm sorry." Bella had turned back to look at me as I spoke, and her soft, forgiving eyes caused me to almost choke on my words. I had never really been one to apologize, but this time, I knew I had to make it good, or I might never have another opportunity to make things right with her.

Her eyebrow raised. "Media shitstorm?"

_Fuck._

"Uh… you could say that."

"What media shitstorm? Did I miss something?"

_Only every newspaper, magazine, and entertainment 'news' broadcast in the last 96 hours…_

"Apparently the entire western world went berserk when snapshots of me running out of the hotel, in nothing but jeans, carrying you passed out, hit the news."

"Fuck, Edward! That kind of shit could ruin your career! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking you were dying and needed to get to a hospital and fast!"

"l'm sorry you thought that. I… I don't know what else to say, Edward. I'm trying. I am." Bella's eyes dropped to her lap and she looked uncomfortable and sad. I hated it.

"Bella! This isn't about _you_ and what you did, baby. This is about _me_ and my part in all this."

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Bella, look… My behavior after the VMAs was deplorable and I'm really truly terribly sorry. I want you to know that I vow to you, right here and now, as sure as I'm alive, it will never _ever_ happen again." I had to make her understand how sorry I was and get her to quit focusing all the blame on herself. It amazed me that she couldn't put her own shortcoming aside long enough to see mine. I didn't deserve her.

"I know that, Edward. I know. Please stop worrying about it. It was a hiccup, a bump in the road. We'll move on and forget about this… someday."

I watched her as she stared out the window. Soft rain was falling outside and it was no wonder why the Irish countryside was so green. It rained almost daily; in fact, I had never been there when it wasn't raining. We rode along in silence for a few more minutes until Bella started talking again, but without looking at me. She remained staring out the window. It was unusual for Bella not to look at me when talking, but I hoped that it was only because she was marveling at Ireland passing by her window.

"I don't think Alice is a good choice for my assistant." Bella's voice was soft and full of contemplation. I didn't answer immediately. I wanted to see what else she had to say about the matter. Plus, I was pleased with the change of subject, to tell the truth.

"I'd rather her remain my friend than be my employee," she continued, finally turning to look at me. I nodded back. I tended to agree with her. It seemed like a really good idea at the time, but after the party, it seemed as though Alice was more centered on her own business than taking care of Bella. As much as I hated the thought of searching for a personal assistant for Bella, I didn't want to ruin her friendship with Alice over something like that.

"I think Rhianne can handle things until we get done with the tour, okay?" Bella nodded in agreement.

I felt much better after our talk on the train and things seemed to even out after that. I knew that Bella was still hurt by the whole thing, and I was too, but it wasn't devouring my thoughts like it had been before.

The weeks had passed in a blur and before I knew it we were celebrating Abby's birthday in Sydney, Australia. I was looking at the tour schedule following the Sydney dates and realized that we were almost done. Although we had about a month to go, with travel and down-time, we only had about 12 shows left.

We took a special daytrip out to Longreach by plane before heading back to Brisbane for a show there, followed by a show in Melbourne. I fucking loved my Australian fans. My fans all over the world were fucking awesome, but there was just something about being in Australia. I felt badly that they had to get us towards the end of the tour because I knew my energy wasn't up to the standards that it was at the beginning, but truthfully, I was just tired as fuck. I found myself sleeping more and more during travel and in between shows and knew that it was a good thing that the tour was almost over. It had been a long six months with a hell of a lot of shit going down. I found myself ready to be on my way home, but I had to give my love to my fans all over the world, not just at home.

Leaving Australia was bittersweet and we waved goodbye to the throngs of fans that showed up at the airport to send us off when we left Melbourne for Queenstown, New Zealand.

New Zealand was beautiful, but our time there was too short. I could see the exhaustion was starting to wear on everyone. Abby was fighting a sore throat and Bella was really concerned about her.

"She's exhausted, Edward. We've got to send her home. She can't do another month of this. All this traveling is taking its toll." Abby was asleep on our bed in between us, burning up with a fever. Bella had a cool washcloth on Abby's neck and had been giving her medicine around the clock to try to keep the fever down. She had taken the initiative to call Carlisle and ask him what to do for her and hadn't left Abby's side since she started getting sick.

I looked over the schedule and knew that Bella was right. Abby didn't need to travel with us to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Honolulu, and Rio de Janiero. I called Rhianne and Mary and started making arrangements to send her home. I just couldn't subject my little girl to anymore touring.

Bella walked into the living area of our hotel suite behind me, looking anxious. Rhianne and Mary were both on their way to our room, so I asked her what was up.

"I don't know, Edward. I feel like… I… I think…" Bella eyes dropped to her hands that were wringing in front of her.

I chucked her on the chin and smiled. "What is it, baby? Just spit it out."

"I think I should go with her," Bella said quickly, again looking away.

It surprised me. My first thought was that Bella didn't want to be with me, but I immediately realized that wasn't the case. Bella didn't want to send Abby home with just Mary, even though she trusted Mary and knew Mary would take care of her, Bella felt a need to be with her. I wrapped my arms around Bella and pulled her to me, hugging her to my chest. I didn't deserve her. She was too good for the likes of me.

"If that's what you feel compelled to do, I won't stand in your way, Bella. I'm not going to argue with you about Abby needing her mom when she's sick. Why were you afraid to tell me?"

"I was afraid you'd think I was pussing out on the tour," she mumbled against my chest.

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Never, baby. I'll miss you terribly, but I'm honored to have someone that loves my little girl as much as I do and is willing to sacrifice to take care of her."

The next morning, I put my girls on the plane home. I was nervous as fuck about it, but knew it was the right thing to do. Bella looked wiped out, too, along with Mary. Abby was miserable and whining. She cried when Bella took her out of my arms and handed her to Mary before kissing me as though she'd never see me again.

"Three weeks, baby, I'll be home in three weeks," I whispered to her, trying to remind her that it wasn't an eternity, even though I already missed the shit out of her.

Bella sniffled and wiped away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. "I know. I'll miss you."

I smiled at her and patted her ass as she turned to leave. She smirked over her shoulder at me and said, "I'll be waiting for you," before she took off down the Jetway.

* * *

That smirk was the look I had on my mind as my plane touched down in Chicago. I was a little pissed off that I couldn't just have the plane land at my fucking house, but I made up for it by having a helicopter pick me up at the airport. I didn't want to deal with riding in a car for forty-five minutes before I could be home.

I boarded the helicopter and saluted the pilot before he lifted off and buzzed towards the house. Fortunately, I had a large enough estate that landing there wasn't a problem. I even had a helipad in the back forty. As soon as the chopper touched down, I had the door open and was out, moving quickly towards the house.

The back doors opened and there were my best girls waiting for me. Abby ran across the patio screaming, "Daddy's home!" and it warmed my heart so much.

Bella leaned against the door frame with a smile. I swooped Abby up in my arms and rushed past the pool to meet my Bella with a kiss. Never had I been so happy to be home from a tour in my life.

The next few days, I spent the majority of my time either asleep or just hanging out with the girls. Bella had given Mary some vacation time to spend with her family and we had given Rhianne some vacation time as well, so it was just us, and I loved every damn minute of it. Bella had even given the house staff vacation so she did all the cooking, laundry and cleaning the first couple of weeks that I was home. As much as I hated seeing her do shit like that, Bella seemed to be more than happy to do it, and our lives were great. It was the first time since I had been a kid at home with Carlisle and Esme that I really felt like a part of a family, and not only that, it was _my_ family.

Somewhere around ten days after I arrived home, I was starting to feel halfway human again. At least I was getting out of bed before noon and not having to take a nap every afternoon just to be able to be awake in the evening.

It was the week of Thanksgiving and Bella had been on the phone with my mother making plans to have Thanksgiving dinner at our house, something that had never happened before. We were to be joined by Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett, as well as Rhianne, Chris, Brad, and Jon and his wife. I was really excited for the holidays for once and couldn't wait to go Christmas shopping for Abby with Bella.

Wednesday before Thanksgiving found me in the kitchen with Bella, helping her bake pies and casseroles. She was impressed that I knew my way around the kitchen and I realized I had never really cooked for her.

"Why didn't you tell me you could cook?" She batted her eyelashes at me and smiled as I rolled out pie crust.

"It's just one of my many hidden talents that you have yet to discover," I smirked back.

I told her that Esme had been largely responsible for teaching me to cook when I was growing up, telling me that a man who could cook was invaluable as a husband. Unfortunately, I had found out just how much it was a skill I needed when Tanya and I married and I found out she could burn boiling water. I had done the majority of the cooking during our marriage. Well, when I was home anyway.

Thursday morning, Bella was up at four in the morning putting the bird in the oven. I tried to get up and help her but she laughed and shoved me back in bed.

"There's a lot of things I'll let you do in my kitchen, but the Thanksgiving turkey isn't one of them. Your job this morning is to watch the parade with Abby and keep her busy while I finish up."

I laughed and grabbed her, pulling her back into the bed on top of me. "That's not the only job I have." I placed a kiss on her nose, each of her eyelids, and her lips. She giggled.

"I've _got_ to go put the turkey in, Edward." She kissed me again.

"I don't think ten minutes of cuddling is going to make dinner late," I whispered while kissing her and holding her tight.

That day, I realized that everything in my life was perfect. I had a wife who loved me no matter what, a beautiful daughter who was all mine, wonderful friends and family surrounding me, and for the first time since EC Velvet was born, I didn't feel a single pang of loneliness on the holiday.

Bella and I shopped on Black Friday. _That _was an experience I wasn't sure I wished to repeat. People are fucking crazy that day! I was pretty sure I was going to have to knock the fuck out of a few whiny bitches that were pissed off because my wife was a more aggressive shopper than they were.

The next week, Bella and I started therapy. It sucked ass. Big time. Not that I minded doing it, because I knew we had to, but that didn't make it any easier or any fun. At all. Both of us were a bit on the sullen side when we came home from our first joint session. We had homework to do and it meant opening wounds that neither of us particularly wanted to dredge up, but we knew that for our future to work, we both had to deal with our collective pasts.

It was also that week that I got the call that the record company wanted to make a deal with me regarding my new label. They wanted to be the "corporate sponsor" of my label. I deferred them to Demetri so that we could make a deal. I wanted to do it on my own, but having a parent company wasn't such a bad thing. I would be guaranteed to be left alone to take my own creative license with my recordings, and that was all that mattered to me.

On our return to therapy, it seemed like we were taking three steps backwards to take one step forward. I was sitting back on the couch with my eyes closed, listening to Bella talk to Heidi when her words made my eyes jerk open and caused me to sit straight up.

"I'm not good enough for him."

"Bella!" I shouted before I could even think.

Bella turned slowly around to look at me. "What, Edward? It's true, I'm not."

I was incredulous. What the hell she could be thinking was beyond me. "There is absolutely _nothing_ that is further from the damned truth, Bella. If anything, _I'm_ not good enough for _you_."

I looked to Heidi for help with the situation and she nodded to me slightly. "Bella, why do you feel that you're not good enough for him?"

"I don't know anything about this life that he leads. I'm not strong enough to face all this on my own. I'm just a plain girl from a plain life and he deserves something better." Tears began to slide down Bella's cheeks. I had no idea that her self esteem was so terribly damaged. She sure did hide it well. It saddened me to think that the self-confidence she always exuded was nothing more than an act.

Heidi leaned towards Bella and looked her in the eye. "Love knows no boundaries, Bella. If he says you're good enough for him, then that should be all you need to know. If you can't accept that, then you have work that you need to do on your own. Why is your self esteem so low?"

Bingo. Heidi hit the nail on the head and Bella began to sob uncontrollably. I put my arm around her to try and comfort her but she pulled away from me.

"Come on, Bella. Please? What brought this on?" Things had been going so well for us and I couldn't imagine what I had done to bring this out in her.

Bella blew her nose and turned to face me. "Nothing brought this on, Edward. I feel like I've been living a dream the last several months. One of these days somebody's going to pinch me and I'm going to wake up in Seattle in my apartment with Mike and it's all going to be over. I'll be back to the submissive little piece of shit who waited on him hand and foot to keep him from beating the shit out of me and putting me in the hospital." She jumped to her feet and started across the room before turning on me and yelling, "You'll just dump me when you're through with me so why don't you get after it and do it now?!"

It felt like she had plunged a knife into my heart. I could hear the blood rushing through my ears and I couldn't breathe. It was the most horrible feeling in the world to think that she really thought that I could ever leave her. I was gasping for breath and wondering what the hell to do when Heidi stood and walked between Bella and me.

"Bella, you can't possibly think that's true. Can't you see how your words have affected Edward?" Heidi took a step towards Bella and Bella took a step backwards.

"It _is_ true. I can feel it. He's going to disappear on me!" Bella continued to sob and my mind continued to reel. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her everything would be alright, but I knew she would never believe me right then.

"He's not going anywhere, Bella. Why do you think this is a dream?" Heidi's voice remained completely calm as she tried to diffuse Bella's emotions. Bella turned to look out the window and silence fell across the room like a veil. The only sounds were each of our breathing. The sky outside was gloomy and grey, just like the mood in Heidi's office. Soft as a whisper, Bella began to speak.

"I'm nothing. I'm a plain girl from a plain town. The daughter of a police chief and a mother who cares so little about me that she doesn't even know I'm married. No one has ever really cared about me. The only person who did, my gran, died. Nothing exciting has ever happened to me. I don't even know why I wrote that letter. All it did was bring me something that would just break my heart again." Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched Bella's sobs wrack her body. Heidi took another step towards her.

"You're afraid that he'll abandon you, just like everyone else you've ever cared for has done in some way or another." Bella nodded and sobbed, dropping her face into her hands.

"Bella, none of those things were your fault. You need to understand that all those people you loved who abandoned you, did so because of their own issues, not because of anything you did." I stood, because I really wanted to go to Bella and hold her, but Heidi put her hand out to stop me.

Bella sniffled. "But if I had been better, none of them would have left me, and Edward wouldn't leave me either."

It was as though I wasn't even there anymore. She was just talking about me as though I was somewhere else. It hurt so damn bad, but I knew that these were issues she needed to deal with, and I reminded myself that I knew none of it was true.

After that day, therapy got easier. I came clean with every dirty little secret of my past, and Bella got past her fear that I was going to leave her. It was hard work, but worth every tear we spilled over it.

My studio was completed in January, just in time for me to start recording again. I kept the smaller studio in my basement just for the hell of it. After the night of passion that Bella and I had shared in there, I couldn't bear to tear it out and make something else of it.

Recording was the other part of my job that was excruciatingly busy. I was glad to have the studio at home because it gave Bella and Abby the opportunity to actually see me while I was recording a new album. Otherwise, I would have been in California and they would either have had to come there to see me, or I would have had to fly home every weekend.

As it was, Bella had no idea how much work recording an album involved. She spent countless hours sitting in the mixing booth watching and listening as we recorded, mixed, scrapped, recorded again… She was a great support and it made it so much easier for me to have her there.

Bella finally realized during that time what I meant by never having a "normal" schedule. It came to her attention that we usually didn't get into the studio and get going good until four or five in the afternoon. We would work until three… four… five in the morning, sleep, and then do it all over again. The only day I would take off was Sunday, and that was because my mother insisted come hell or high water that we have Sunday dinner at her place while I was home.

As the recording went on and on, Bella began to busy herself with other things rather than sitting in the studio watching and listening for endless hours. She was beginning to have requests for interviews and stuff and Rhianne had finally decided that she was able to keep up with both of us. Bella wasn't too interested in doing too many public appearances without me anyway.

After four straight months in the studio, I decided to take a little break. It was fortunate that I picked that particular time to do it because it was then that Bella's first interview was to air on MTV during a special about me. Alice, Rose, Jasper, and Emmett came over to watch, along with my parents, Rhianne, and several of the guys from the group. Bella was extremely embarrassed by all the attention, but I kept trying to tell her that she fucking deserved it. It was her turn to have a little of the attention on her and if she didn't like it, too damn bad. As it came time for the interview, we all sat around the big flat screen. When the first picture of Bella came on the screen, Abby started screaming, "Daddy, look! Mommy's on TV!!"

* * *

_**End Note:** *sniffle* There is only one chapter left before the Epilogue. I know... I know... I'm sad, too. In light of the fact that our journey with Velvet is almost over, leave him a review? Please?_

_My most humble thanks to Lillie, who is my rock, and my fucktabulous beta. Also, many thanks to Eyes of Topaz for pre-beta'ing these last several chapters. Thanks to LolaRose, MilitzaG, JustBiteMePlease, Lead69, LazyKate, Nan McCullen, Squalloogal, kuntrygal, and mymunkyman for all of their words of encouragement, love, and being my shoulder to cry on in addition to Lillie and Eyes of Topaz when their shoulders got too damp, or I felt too guilty for all the whining._

_Most of all, thanks to all of my wonderful readers and fans who've stuck by me this past year as I've taken this journey. I love you all. Thank you for every review, PM, Tweet, GChat, thought, smile, and whatever else I might have forgotten to mention along the way._

_Also, a huge thanks to whoever nominated "The Letter" for "The Faithful Shipper Awards." Also, my collaborative story with Lillie Cullen, "In the Heat of the Night" was nominated for a "Silent Tear" award. I'm so honored to have been nominated._

_Now... Time to thank Velvet for a lovely journey. This was the last chapter in his POV. _


	36. Epilogue

_**A/N: **Well... I thought there would be one more chapter before we came to the Epilogue, but as it turns out, there wasn't. I want to thank every single one of my readers for sticking with this story throughout the last year it has taken to write it. Without all of you, I would not be. I never would have finished had it not been for the support of my readers and friends, and especially My Lillie. More than Romeo, darlin'. _

_**Disclaimer: **Many thanks to the Goddess that is Stephenie Meyer for creating this universe and allowing us to play in it._

* * *

_**Bella**_

The day of the interview, Edward was upstairs asleep. He had been in the studio until after five that morning. The MTV crew was set to arrive at eight, so I knew he wouldn't be up yet. Rhianne had promised to be there for moral support for me, as well as Alice and Rose.

When I got up, I had gone to my dressing room and put on the outfit that Alice helped me pick out for the interview. It was simple. Jeans, sneakers, and a dark blue blouse. She had said something about the midnight blue going well with my skin tone, or some such bullshit. I never knew with her. I just went with it because she always seemed to know what was best.

I watched as they set up the lights and cameras, choosing the best spot in our living room to hold the interview. I was nervous as hell and wanted it to be over, but I knew I had a long row ahead. The producers had told Rhianne to have me prepared for an all day affair. They would interview me, take a tour of the house and the grounds, do some shooting of me with Abby and Edward, and speak with Edward briefly, but the show wasn't necessarily about him, it was about the families of superstars and how they coped. I wasn't sure I was a good example of that, being so new to everything, but I was willing. Rhianne had said it would be good for Edward's career and for us as a family, so I went with it.

Finally, it came time for the interview and I was grateful that the interviewer made me feel so at ease.

"Hi, Bella. You ready for this?" she asked with a smile.

"Um, yeah, I guess." I noticed I was wringing my hands in my lap and consciously tried to stop. It wasn't working.

"No need to be nervous. We're going to go ahead and get the cameras rolling. Don't worry, only the best parts will be on the air, not the nervous parts." I chuckled at that and wondered if there would be any footage good enough to air.

The questions weren't hard for me to answer, like I thought they would be. In fact, it was really easy.

"So, Bella, this series is about the families of superstars and how they cope with the superstardom and everything that goes with it. The first thing I'd like to ask you is how you and Edward met."

I detailed how I had written Edward the fan letter, his response, our subsequent correspondence, and the day we met. The words just flowed out of me more easily than I could have imagined.

Next, the interviewer asked about the hardships of being on tour and how it affected our new relationship. I laughed and relaxed before I started to answer that one.

"Being on tour is… crazy. I could never have imagined all of the thought and planning that went into it, let alone the difficulties involved in hauling that many people and equipment all over the world in such a short amount of time. Honestly, some days you wake up and wonder where the hell you are."

"Of course, my decision to go with Edward on tour was pretty heat of the moment and I had no freaking idea what I was getting myself into. Although, it's possible that had I known, I might not have gone."

"You just can't even know what it's like until you've been there and done it. I mean, driving all over the country in a bus, even though Edward and I had one to ourselves, it didn't make it any easier because you couldn't just stop and get out whenever you wanted. If you wanted to do sightseeing, it had to be planned. And then there were the 'disguises'," I added with a hearty laugh.

Overall, I was really pleased with the interview, and the night that the show was to air on MTV, I was more disgusted with Edward for inviting the entire world over to watch it than I was embarrassed by everyone seeing it.

Several times throughout the hour long program, Edward squeezed my hand or kissed it, and he had so much love in his eyes for me.

Apparently, I said some really funny shit, because several times the whole room broke into laughter, too. I didn't know I was that damned funny.

After the show was over, and everyone had gone home, Edward took me to our room and made love to me for hours. His kisses were reverent and his touch on my skin left a trail of fire wherever he moved his hands. It had always been that way… and as far as I knew, it always would.

It took Edward eight months to finish his album. He had invested so much time and energy into it, that he was exhausted when he was done. I knew that since the album was done, that meant it would be time to start planning a new tour, which I had some really mixed feelings about.

While going out on tour with Edward again would be exciting and fun, it would also be exhausting and taxing on us and our relationship. It was no wonder that rockstars and actors had so much trouble staying married with the schedules that they keep. I just wasn't sure I was ready for all that again.

Of course, Edward was ever vigilant, making sure that I was able to participate in all the planning. We shortened his tour schedule a little from the last one, making sure to keep as many dates as possible without being on the road for six months.

Abby started Kindergarten so we also had to make sure that her schooling went with her. The days of having a little one to travel with who had no responsibilities other than eating and sleeping were over. For the most part, I planned to work with Abby on her school work, but when I couldn't do it, Mary was always available to pick up my slack.

Therapy. Therapy fucking sucked ass. I hated every fucking minute of it until I started realizing that I had one hell of a lot of insecurities where Edward was concerned that were totally unfounded. After three months of going to sessions twice a week, we had a great breakthrough. As we climbed into the Ferrari afterwards, Edward turned to me and just sat there, staring.

Finally paranoid, I asked, "Is something wrong?"

His response was soft. "No, absolutely nothing. I'm just letting myself feel how much I love you for a minute. Is that okay?"

I turned to look into his piercing green eyes and we just sat there quietly, drinking each other in, for the longest time. We were communicating with each other silently. It was amazing. It was the defining moment in our relationship. His eyes spoke to me and warmed my heart. With a simple look and a gentle touch, he made me realize just how loved I truly was.

And it was with that one moment, that one small hitch in time, that I let everything go. I let go of everything and allowed myself to be loved, wanted, needed. Edward was, and would always be, everything to me.

When the magic lifted, Edward smiled and leaned over the console to kiss me gently before starting the car and roaring away from Heidi's office and down Lake Shore Drive towards the apartment.

We ran inside giggling like teenagers, yanking our clothes off and stringing them all over the floor.

Every touch and every kiss felt like our first time together, maybe because I finally let down all of my barriers that were there to protect me from being hurt, and let myself feel the love and respect that Edward had for me.

Slowly, over the next months, I transformed, somewhat. I found myself immersed in the hip-hop world. My vocabulary went from being a prissy English Lit professor's language, to sounding like a sailor on leave after months at sea. I had to really start watching myself around Abby so that she didn't say 'fuck' every other word like I did.

I became closer with Esme and Carlisle, enjoying our Sunday dinners together, even if Edward did bitch about it all the time. Esme was a little on the controlling side and Edward didn't handle it well. It was understandable, to a certain extent. I learned to manipulate them both into getting along better and for that, Carlisle was eternally grateful that his wife and son weren't bickering all the time.

The next few years felt like a record on repeat. Tour, record, tour, record, tour, record… it was an endless cycle. Abby was growing up right under our noses and was becoming quite the beautiful young lady.

Fortunately for us, we never had as many problems in the next few years combined as we did in that first year. It was a damn good thing, too, or we may never have made it.

The interviewer had asked me how the hectic pace of our lives made it easier or harder for us to stay together. At the time of the interview, I thought it made things harder, but later on I realized that it really made things easier, for us anyway. The busier we were, the more we were in tune to each other's needs. It was strange in a way. On the rare occasions that we had down time, it almost made us drift apart somewhat. Almost.

"You comin' to bed, baby?" Edward's voice broke through my reverie, bringing me back to the present. I turned to him and smirked.

"Yeah, I'm comin'." I stood up from where I had been sitting staring out the window.

_My fucking house. Fuck yes._ I got so caught up in the memories from the last few years that I almost forgot we were home.

The exhaustion was overwhelming me and I walked into the bedroom to see Edward lying naked, sprawled across our huge bed, with his shock of coppery hair in stark contrast with the pristine white sheets. His eyes were closed and he looked almost angelic. Of course, I laughed out loud at that, because Edward is about as far away from angelic as a person can get. He rolled over on his side and propped his head up on his arm. "What's funny, babe?"

_God I love that fucking smirk._

"I was just standing here thinking how angelic you looked laying there with your eyes closed, and then realized that was about as far from the fucking truth as it could be," I told him as I crossed the room and started taking off my jewelry and putting it on the dresser.

Edward chuckled and yawned. "You gonna shower first?"

"God yes, I feel fucking disgusting." I went into the bathroom and turned on the water, quickly stepping into the shower and letting the hot water from the eight shower heads flow over me.

Six years of Edward in my bed. Six years of touring, being in the recording studio, going to awards shows and movie premieres, it was all wearing on me and I was starting to feel old. As I washed my body, I had memories of Edward on every part of me. I ran my soapy hands across my belly and stopped at the level of my womb. My fruitless, worthless womb. Four miscarriages. It was yet another reason for me to feel inadequate for Edward, but he had always maintained that he loved me regardless of my ability to bear him more children. I winced and moved on.

After my shower, I pulled one of Edward's t-shirts over my head and headed for the bedroom. I paused to watch Edward as he snored softly in the bed. _So fucking hot and all mine._

I turned towards the mantle and took in the items sitting there. A photograph of Charlie, with lots of grey hair, but smiling with his arm around his new wife Sue was the first thing to catch my eye. I ran my fingers over the glass and smiled. It was so good to see him happy. I moved on to the photo of Carlisle and Esme, both glowing with happiness. I gently touched the glass on that photo before moving on to the next.

It was a family portrait of Rose and Emmett with their two beautiful blonde haired children, Sydney and Ethan. I chuckled to myself about Sydney's namesake, because of course, that's where she was conceived. They always called me Aunt Bella and I did my best to spoil them as rotten as I could. Well, okay, Rose and Em did a hell of a good job spoiling them all to hell, but I tried to contribute anytime I could. I couldn't wait to see them.

The next picture on our mantle was a family portrait of Edward, Abby, and me. It was nearly time for a new one. Abby had grown so much since that one had been taken the year before. I smiled seeing her sitting on Edward's lap and holding my hand. She has always been so attached to us. I couldn't believe how beautiful she was growing up to be.

I moved on to the photo of Alice and Jasper. Alice, as always, looked like a Mexican jumping bean about to jump off the table. You could almost see her bouncing around between photos. Jasper looked handsome and sinister in his black silk Italian fitted suit. I shook my head and was anxious to see them again as well. It had been too long.

Renee and Phil were next on the mantle. They were somewhere in Mexico when that picture was taken. Phil was playing Mexican league baseball since he wasn't able to play in the majors in the U.S. At least they looked happy.

The last thing sitting on our mantle was a wrinkled, well-worn piece of paper in a frame. I picked it up and stared at it briefly. There it was. The thing that made all of this happen for me. The Letter.

_**Fin**_


	37. FGB Outtake 1 Melbourne, Aus

**_A/N: _**_Hi everyone! No, I've not fallen off the face of the earth, just been really really really really...(you get the picture?) busy! This is the first of two Fandom Gives Back outtakes for The Letter. Be forewarned: NSFW! And if you're squeamish about certain sexual acts... proceed with caution... this is NAUGHTY! Definitely NOT for those under 18. I have REALLY enjoyed writing Velvet again, and this outtake happens to be in Velvet POV. Thanks to those who donated to FGB so that I would write this. I can't think of a better cause for the money to have gone to! Special thanks to LazyKate and Eyes of Topaz for pinch beta'ing this outtake for me. Miss Lillie - I love you more than my own life. LolaRosa, MilitzaG, justbitemeplease, LazyKate, Eyes of Topaz, and Lead69, thanks for being "my girls." I couldn't do any of this without the support of all of my "besties." _

**_Disclaimer: _**_I think we've covered this, but I don't own Twilight, in case you didn't know. I do own this story, all of my OCs, and most importantly, I own Velvet. I don't share. Keep your damn hands off him. :)_

* * *

_**Velvet**_

"_Get me off this motherfucking stage right fucking now!" _I thought as I glanced over to the side of the stage and saw Bella standing there in that fucking outfit _again._

_Fuck. Why did she wear that?_

She probably didn't have a fucking clue how fucking hot she looked in that little number with the tiny, short skirt.

_I just want to bend her over the… oh fuck… gotta rap…_

Melbourne, Australia. The crowd was amazing. The Vixens were out in rare form. And I couldn't fucking concentrate for shit because Bella was wearing that damned "fuck me" skirt, blouse, and heels.

As soon as I could get off the stage before the encore, I hauled ass. I grabbed Bella, who giggled madly, and made my way through the door of the dressing room and slammed it.

"I can't wait 'til after the show," I breathed as I shoved one hand up her skirt, "I've gotta have you right… (wet) fucking… (slick) now!" My fingers plunged inside her and she nearly lost her footing. I slammed her back against the door and attacked her mouth with mine as I reached over with my free hand and turned the deadbolt.

"Edward! Fuck…." Her words were drowned out by an accompanying moan when I thrust my fingers further inside her and curled them towards her belly, searching for the sweet spot. Her juices were flowing freely and practically dripping off me.

"Jesus Christ, Bella… You aren't allowed to wear that outfit to concerts anymore, do you understand me?" I asked sternly as I continued to thrust into her wetness and work her into a frenzy. It was what she deserved, getting me all worked up like that.

Her arms went around my chest and she reached for my shoulders from behind, bracing herself. As her head fell forward onto my shoulder, I caught a minute nod just as her entire body began to shudder and her pussy spasmed around my hand.

"That's right, baby, come for me. Just like that," I crooned into her ear.

Knowing I didn't have very much time to accomplish what I was after, I didn't give her much of a chance to recover before I scooped her up and turned around, looking for the best place to finish what I had started.

"Edward, you have to get back out there… can't you hear them?"

I didn't really care, for the first time in my whole fucking life. Who gives a fuck about thousands of screaming fans when I've got this beautiful woman right here, her body begging me to ravage it? Okay, so I really did give a shit, but I had something I had to do first. I had to get rid of the raging fucking hard-on that had plagued me since I had seen her in that tight, short skirt a couple of hours before. I damn near forgot the lyrics more than once.

I practically tossed her over the back of the overstuffed chair that travelled with me wherever I went. We had some good memories in that chair. Damn good ones. But this was one thing the chair had yet to be, and that was christened.

She giggled and wiggled her ass.

Fuck.

I put my hands on the outsides of her thighs and pulled them up over her ass, pushing that menace of a skirt up with them. My cock did a triple axel when her bare ass was before me. I didn't know my own strength. I ripped that goddamned flimsy excuse for panties right the fuck off her before plunging my fingers into her tight, wet pussy one more time.

"Fuuuuuck, you're fucking wet for me, aren't you, baby?" Apparently I couldn't control my mouth any better than I could control my fucking dick at that point.

She moaned and wiggled her ass again, thrusting it back against my hand.

Fuck.

I knew I had to hurry. Rhianne would be pounding on the fucking door any minute. I could hear the muffled sound of the music and knew my cue was coming up soon. Without wasting any more time, I yanked my button-fly open, fished out my excruciatingly hard dick, and shoved it inside her.

She gasped and pushed against me. "Fuuuuuuuuuck…" Her voice was low and raspy and I could feel myself nearly come undone then. Determined that I wasn't going to be a three second wonder, I concentrated for a second on the sound of the music again. I still had a minute or two. Good.

I pulled back, almost out of her, and rammed against her again. "You like that, baby? You like it when I fuck you hard like this?" I asked while I slammed my hips into her ass over and over again.

"Uh, uh, uh, unggh, huh…"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"_How did I get so fucking lucky?"_ was the last thought that went through my mind before I reached down and started circling her clit with my fingers.

Our movements became so intense that I blocked out the entire world. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything but Bella's body, her moans, her thrusts, her muscles squeezing and releasing my cock… and then I just fucking exploded. I came so goddamn hard I nearly crushed her against the chair.

Not missing a beat, Bella screamed out with the intensity of her own climax just a second after mine started.

Right on cue, Rhianne started pounding on the dressing room door. "Edward! It's time! You've got to get back out there!" Jesus Christ she was screaming out there.

"I'm coming!" I yelled, and then laughed.

Bella giggled.

Fuck.

I smacked her ass hard and started yanking my clothes off. "I want you to go, get out of here. I want you in the room and ready for me when I get there, and you had better be fucking wet and ready because when I get back there, I'm gonna fuck you like there's no tomorrow," I instructed, pulling my black t-shirt over my head followed by my hoodie.

She was smiling at me all seductive and shit.

Fuck.

I walked right up to her and kissed her hard on the mouth. I didn't even want to go back out on that stage. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I didn't want to have to wait to do it.

Right before I left to go back on stage, I whispered in her ear, "I wanna fuck your ass, baby."

I didn't wait for her reaction. I just turned on my heel and headed straight for the door. I unlocked it and yanked it open to see Rhianne standing red-faced right outside. She was pissed. And it was funny as fuck. I just started laughing.

I jerked my thumb back towards Bella and quipped, "She's ready to go to the hotel. Get her there," before I disappeared at a dead run down the hallway and back to the stage. As I was running I saw Squally, who was the president of my Australian fan club. She was beaming at me so I swatted her on the ass as I ran by, hoping she would understand my rush.

I made it back to the stage just as my music cue hit and I was relieved that I wasn't late, although I would much rather have been in the limo with Bella on my way back to the hotel.

After the show, I was obligated to hang around for a little while. There were fans, a lot of them Vixens, who had paid good money to spend time backstage with me and the rest of the crew after the show. I cut my time to no more than an hour, and took it easy on the booze. I started to drink my vodka and then thought better of it. I rather enjoyed being in Velvet mode while I was fucking Bella, and she didn't seem to mind, so…

I walked in quietly, not wanting to alert her to my presence just yet. I heard the TV in the bedroom and holy fuck… she was watching fucking _porn_! My dick got hard… like really fucking hard. I couldn't wait… I just went for it… busted through the door, and caught her red-fucking-handed with her fingers in her pussy.

"What the fuck are you doin'?" I asked, feigning anger.

She stopped her movements and looked up at me, blinking. "Um… you told me to be ready?" I smirked at her and started stalking towards her like a cat on the prowl. She removed her fingers from her pussy and started scooting back on the bed.

"Oh no you don't," I growled, "Put your fucking fingers back in that sweet pussy. I wanna watch." She blushed from head to fucking toe and I grinned in spite of my dominant behavior. Tentatively she slid her hand back down over her stomach and between her legs. My cock jumped and I quickly rid myself of my jeans and boxers. I also pulled my shirt over my head and climbed onto the bed, moving closer to her. I lay on my stomach with my head propped up on my fists, just watching her fingers move tentatively across her clit and then dip down inside of her. It was erotic as hell when she did it and moaned softly at the same time.

I heard the moaning on the television increase in tempo so I glanced over to see what was going on, and damned if she wasn't watching ass-fuck porn. I turned back to Bella and saw that she was staring at me, while lazily plunging her fingers in and out of her cunt. I couldn't take any more. I scooted forward and grabbed her fingers, putting them in my mouth. "Mmmm. FUCK, you taste good," I told her while licking the juices off her hand. She moaned in response. I smirked and then dove between her legs, attacking her clit with my tongue and sliding my fingers inside her.

"Ahhhh… fuck, Edward… that feels so fucking… unggggg…"

I looked up at her and blinked once. Feeling ornery, I said, "Who the fuck is Edward?" all hateful like I was pissed off. She immediately sat up and looked down at me where I was still running two fingers in and out of her, painfully slowly. Fuck she was wet… and tight… and my concentration was shot.

"Sorry, Velvet… I, uh… never mind…" she said, blushing.

"Better," I mumbled with my mouth full of pussy again. I licked her folds up and down, making sure to graze her clit with my tongue each time I passed by it. She was squirming and writhing beneath me and I fucking loved the power I had over her body at that moment. Deftly, I slid a third finger inside her to join the other two. She moaned. Loud.

I was afraid I was gonna come on the fucking bedspread so I rearranged myself so that my cock wasn't rubbing on it, and then I leaned my head back where I could get a better look. I watched my three fingers disappearing inside her and I rubbed her clit with my thumb. "You like that, baby?"

"Uhhhhh huhhhhhh…" I decided to take that as a yes and slid my fourth digit in with the other three, stretching her pussy open wide. "Ohhhh God, Velvet… What are you… uhhhhhhhng… FUCK!" I grinned and continued to gently fuck her with my hand. Just when I knew she couldn't take anymore, I leaned down and started flicking my tongue across her clit, back and forth, side to side, up and down, and she just fucking exploded, screaming and writhing and soaking my arm with her juices.

When her orgasm subsided, I carefully removed my fingers from within her and kissed her tiny bundle of nerves. She surprised me by reaching down and grabbing my hand, shoving my fingers in her mouth, and licking them clean.

_Fuck! Baseball… yeah… um… who's on first, what's on second, I don't know's on third… _It took everything in me to not just fucking splooge all over the damn bed when she did that. I finally got myself under control and sat up to kiss her.

When our lips crashed together, I felt warm all over. Her tongue instinctively plunged into my mouth and our mouths danced together. The taste of her arousal mixed with her natural sweet taste inside my mouth and I was in Heaven. We were almost fighting for dominance of the kiss. While we were kissing, I pulled her over on top of me and she impaled herself on my cock while my hands roamed up and down her back, squeezing her ass every chance I got. She was trying to ride me hard, but I slowed her down. I was far from ready for this shit to be over and I had fucking plans for her. She needed to slow the fuck down! When I was ready to continue to move forward with my goal for the night, I easily lifted her off me and tossed her next to me on the bed. She giggled. Fuck.

"Now, Mrs. Velvet, I'm going to make you scream my name again, because that's the most beautiful sound in the universe," I told her in a commanding voice. She giggled again. Fuck.

I flipped Bella over on her stomach and covered her body with mine, placing kisses on the backs of her shoulders, her shoulder blades, and between them, because I knew that drove her crazy. She was moaning and squirming around so I knew she was liking it. Plus, I was rubbing my dick up and down the crack of her ass, so she wasn't the only one enjoying it. I slid my hands up her sides and tickled the sides of her tits with fluttering fingertips. I felt her whole body relaxing under my touch so I slid off and laid next to her, letting my erection pulse against her hip.

Running my hand up and down her back, I started whispering in her ear, telling her the lewd and kinky things I wanted to do to her… with her. She was smiling and nodding at me. Finally, she whispered back, "I want to try it." Well, that was all the go ahead I needed. I reached over to find my jeans on the floor and fished in the pocket for the bottle of lube I had picked up at the drugstore on the way to the hotel.. Then, I climbed around and settled myself between her legs, pushing them apart. Bella moaned when the cold air hit her hot, sopping wet pussy.

My cock was straining to get to her, but I knew if this was going to work, we had to take it slow, so I mentally told my dick to shut the fuck up and let me be in control for once. He didn't like it, but he calmed down slightly.

I ran my hands over her ass, marveling at how perfect and round it was. I squeezed her cheeks and she moaned softly. I smirked just as I lifted my right hand and smacked her ass hard, immediately gently rubbing the spot where I had slapped her. Her body quivered to my every touch and I knew I had her right where I wanted her. Reaching down, I slid a finger inside her and rather than moving it around, I just let it lay inside her. I could feel her inner muscles moving, clenching, begging for more.

With my free hand, I opened the bottle of warming lube and began pouring it on her ass, letting it run down the crack. Bella giggled and wriggled her ass. I smirked and let the liquid run down over my hand, massaging it into her as it coated the hand that was working her pussy.

Gently, I pulled my finger out of her, listening to her sigh at the loss of contact. I struggled momentarily to get my inner Velvet under control because if we were going to do this, I didn't want to hurt her. Velvet tends to go at things a little more haphazardly than I would prefer at times.

Running my fingers along the crack of her ass, I delicately brushed across her back entrance. Her moan indicated that she liked it, but I had to be sure.

"You okay, baby?"

"Uh huh," she choked out, nodding.

I reached up to grab a pillow, and lifting her hips, I pushed it under her. "That comfortable?"

She crossed her arms above her and laid her head on them. She nodded again and moved herself around a little, adjusting.

I began to massage her ass and her back with one hand while the other continued to run up and down her crack, pausing each time I crossed her tiny rosebud to push against it lightly. As I moved slowly, I could feel her relax a little more each time I found her entrance. My cock was straining against my skin and I couldn't get over how perfect, beautiful, and trusting of me she was. This was something I couldn't fuck up or I would never have another chance to love her like this.

Seeing that she was about as relaxed as I had ever seen her, I gently pushed my fingertip inside her, feeling her open up and then close on my finger. I moaned aloud when that happened. I held perfectly still while she adjusted to the foreign invasion and when I felt that she was relaxing again, I pushed a little further inside. Bella let out a long, low moan as my finger worked its way inside her back passage.

"Oh Jesus, Bella, that's fucking hot," I breathed. I could barely speak. She pushed back against my hand ever so slightly, but enough for me to know she wanted me to continue, so I slowly withdrew my finger, pulling it almost all the way out, before pushing it back inside her, further this time.

I grabbed the lube and poured more on her, working it into her ass as I slowly finger-fucked her there. I wasn't so sure I wasn't going to come just by doing this. It was sensual, and hot, and she was putty in my hands, literally. Each time I pushed forward with my finger, Bella began to push back against me with more and more effort each time.

"Talk to me, baby. I need to know you're okay," I ground out.

"Oh God, yes… I'm okay," she panted.

I moved closer to her, spreading her legs a little further apart and pushing her knees slightly under her. She complied with my motions and put her butt a little further up in the air, giving me better access.

While my right index finger stroked her back passage, I reached up with my left hand to swirl my fingers around her clit and push my thumb inside her pussy. Bella's entire body shuddered and she moaned more loudly than before.

Moving up on my knees, I put my cock at her entrance and pushed inside, while still massaging her back passage with my finger. The guttural sound that Bella made while my cock entered her was enough to cause me to have to stop for a moment just to keep from exploding.

"Oh fuck yeah… Bella… God," I growled against my heavy breathing.

Her words were beyond comprehension and just sounded like heavy growling and groaning.

I stopped moving my hips again and gently began to push a second finger into her back passage along with the first, pouring more lube down my hand as I did so. Bella was moaning and writhing beneath me while I stretched her. I talked to her the whole time.

"You okay, baby? Tell me if I'm hurting you." I was afraid of hurting her, but the whole thing was overwhelmingly hot and I was more aroused than I had ever been in my life. She moaned and said something that resembled 'more' which made me go crazy. Literally.

I pulled my cock out of her pussy to prevent it from taking over and fucking her silly. She was dripping wet and there was lube all over her ass. I couldn't help but slap her cheek again as I slowly fucked her ass with my fingers.

"Oh… God… Ed..Velvet…fuck." Her words were spread out only coming with each thrust of my hand. I leaned over and placed tiny kisses on the small of her back, thinking how hot she would look with a tat there.

"More, please," she begged.

_Ah hell no! Did she really just say that? FUCK!_

I couldn't hold back anymore. Velvet was screaming at me to 'tap dat ass' and it was all I could do to not just shove my whole fucking cock inside her at once. I pulled my fingers out, poured more lube on her ass and then slathered lube all over my dick.

Placing the head at her entrance, I took a deep breath and reminded myself to go easy. "You sure?" I choked, praying she would say yes. She answered by pushing back against me and moaning. "Fuck…okay… fuck… take it easy, would ya?"

I grabbed hold of her hips and pressed forward as gently as I could. Bella's moans turned into something between a moan and a scream and I stopped, scared, until she said, "Oh fuck yes, Velvet, fuck my ass!"

The head of my dick disappeared in her ass with a 'pop' and I remained motionless. She was breathing really hard and her skin shimmered in the light that flickered from the television. She was covered in sweat, her hair was a mess, her ass was in the air and holy fucking shit if she didn't just go ahead and push her ass backwards and bury me inside her.

I grabbed hold of her hips and held on tightly, fearing that I would leave bruises, but unable to loosen my grip for fear if she moved the wrong way at the wrong time, it would be all over. For just a moment, our breathing was the only sound in the room. I looked down at my beautiful, trusting goddess, laid bare before me. She wasn't going to stand for this lack of motion long. I could see her muscles rippling and knew that she was on the verge of insanity. Not necessarily mental insanity, but insanity from her physical need. My cock pulsed inside her and I felt her muscles gripping me.

Pouring some more lube down the crack of her ass, I slowly withdrew my dick until only the head was inside her.

"Oh fuck, oh God… oh fuck… fuck me, Edward… fuck me," she breathed.

I caught my grip on her hips again and thrust forward, again burying myself in her back passage. I can't even begin to describe what it felt like. Bella was bucking against me and I began fucking her in earnest. Her body shuddered and shook and the mewling sounds she was making were fucking erotic as hell.

I lost myself to her. We truly became as one, our movements in perfect sync with one another. I reached around her to swirl my fingers over her clit, only to find that she had beaten me to it and was rubbing herself furiously with her own hand.

"Oh yeah, that's right, baby. Does it feel good? You like that, baby?" I panted as I continued to fuck her, feeling my own climax building somewhere deep within my pelvis. The next thing I knew, my balls contracted and I was coming harder than I could ever have imagined, and Bella was tumbling into the abyss with me, screaming my name in her ecstasy.

Afterwards, I felt a need for closeness. Bella had given me an exceptional gift and I wanted her to know how adored she was. I gathered her into my arms and held tightly to her, stroking her hair and kissing her gently, whispering to her how very much I loved her and cherished her. She fell asleep in my arms, murmuring words of love and adoration back to me.

All was right with the world. I had my Bella and she made my life complete.


End file.
